Of Wolf and Man
by Moonlith
Summary: Two average students of the Youkai Academy embark upon a course which ultimately changes everything.
1. The Conspirators

Disclaimer: I do not own Rosario+Vampire.

_**Of Wolf and Man**_

By Moonlith

Chapter One: The Conspirators

_Today after school at the front gates._

Aono Tsukune, a fifteen-year-old freshman at the Youkai Academy, stared at the crumpled note in his hand.

It was not the first time he did so, for ever since he'd found it stuffed into his pocket earlier that day, the small piece of paper had been repeatedly the object of his utmost attention and wonder. He had no recollection of consciously receiving it from anyone, and he certainly hadn't written it himself, so the only conclusion he was left with was that somebody had slid it there secretly without his notice.

Possibilities about the people, or _monsters_, who could have done so reeled through his mind, but with the hundreds of other students at the academy who he passed by at close proximity every day, coming up with a definite answer was next to impossible.

_It couldn't be_, Tsukune thought suddenly, a series of romantic scenarios he'd seen in those cheesy films popping into his head. He thought about the beautiful pink-haired vampire Akashiya Moka, blushing at him and asking if he'd gotten the note, before finally proceeding to confess just how much she lo-

_NO! _Tsukune shook his head, clearing his mind of the stupid daydreams while berating himself. He valued his close friendship with her and the other girls, but with the busy schedule at school as well as the fact they had only known each other for such a short time, he didn't really see it happening; it just couldn't be.

Determined not to lose his focus again, Tsukune took a look at the note once more. _Heh, no way this could be written by a girl anyway_, He thought. The message was blunt and the handwriting quite artless; certainly not something he'd associate with a pretty lady.

But whoever the author of the mysterious message and whatever his business, it had better be important, Tsukune decided.

Indeed, he had enough on his plate as it was, with the academy's Student Police wanting to shut down the newspaper club he and his friends attended. The situation was outrageous; the club had done nothing to disturb the peace of the school nor against any of the Police Committee's members. They had simply decided, without a warning of any kind, to wage war against them and bring them down. Needless to say, no one in the newspaper club was pleased with this, and all of them were on the verge of panic while trying to come up with a way to salvage their right to pursue their choice after school activities.

Tsukune let out a soft sigh, pushing the paper back into his pocket. _I guess there's no helping it_, he thought, _I'll find out soon enough_. Only one lesson remained until school was out, and after that he would meet up with the mystery man_, or woman_, he still dreamed absently. After all, Aono Tsukune was not one to stand up on someone when his presence was requested.

* * *

Tsukune watched as the stream of students rolled out through the school gates, happily bustling about now that the classes for the day were done with. The day had begun to wane early, as it always seemed to do within this strange barrier that hid the monster world, and the deep yellow glow of the coming evening lengthened the shadows of the crooked nearby trees.

As soon as the bell had rang, he had shot out of his seat and made for the note's designed meeting location. It had hurt him to see the dejected looks on the girls' faces as he excused himself from the day's club activities, especially under the current circumstances, but he figured there wasn't much he could do about it at the moment. Perhaps, if the person wanting to see him had a very urgent reason and it turned out he could help, it would be easier to explain it to his friends afterwards. _That's it, _Tsukune thought happily, and with his mood now a bit brighter, he concentrated again on keeping watch over the departing students.

* * *

The last of the pupils was long since gone, and Tsukune was still waiting.

_So much for that urgency, _he thought bitterly as he stomped his foot on the ground. _And to think I made it such a point to be here on time. Unbelievable! _By now the boy was seething to himself, and he was quickly gathering the resolve to turn around and leave.

But just as he was about to act upon his angry decision, a figure emerged from the shadows of the tree line and planted a firm hand on his shoulder.

Tsukune whirled around, not quite managing to suppress a yelp as he was surprised and frightened beyond measure at the sudden intrusion.

His initial shock turned into a mixture of relief and extreme confusion as he found the familiar flashy grin of one Ginei Morioka staring back at him.

"Gin!" Tsukune exclaimed, his surprise now finding a voice.

"Who else were you expecting? Don't tell me you were dumb enough to think it was a love letter, you idiot." The sophomore replied irritably.

Tsukune flushed bright red, the beginnings of a stammering retort issuing from his throat.

"Keep it down, now will you? I didn't call you here in secret just to have you blow our cover", Gin hurried to cut him off.

"Why the heck didn't you mention this was supposed to be such a concealed appointment!? You could've arranged us to meet up somewhere else instead of just giving me such an ambiguous time and place!" The younger of the two hissed, venting his anger while complying to his companion's demand.

Gin gave a sheepish grin and scratched the back of his head at this, obviously seeing the failure on his part.

"Heh, sorry mate. I was kind of in a hurry and couldn't find the time or privacy to talk to you, so I scribbled that note in a second and just hid it in your pocket."

Tsukune rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air, but pressed the issue no further. He'd already waited long enough and didn't want to stretch things any further.

"So what is it you asked me here for?" He inquired in a tone now devoid of his previous vehemence.

Gin took a few quick and wary glances around him before answering.

"It looks like we're alone here now, but I don't want to take any chances. Let's go, I know a place where we can talk in complete security."

Tsukune sighed. _This is going to take long._

"Lead the way, then."

* * *

Gin led them deep into the shadowy woods. By now the night had fully descended, and Tsukune had to fight to keep up with the werewolf in man's clothes in the scarce moonlight that the cloudy night sky let through. All around them the sounds of the night filled the air, with the cries of a lone owl sounding in the treetops while the cracking of fallen twigs under their feet accompanied them as they went.

In all honesty, Tsukune had started to feel the first shivers of fear run up and down his spine. They had been on the move for a good while now, and still the man walking before him showed no signs that they were reaching their destination. _Werewolf, _Tsukune reminded himself with a gulp, casting a wary look at his steadily onward pushing companion's back. Another look at the sky dissuaded his fears somewhat, for the moon was mostly obscured by clouds, meaning Gin's monstrous abilities were not at their best. _But he still has the physical advantage over me in case he decides to do something_, the boy thought, his overcautious mind not letting him to give up on his worries.

But before the young man could slip into an outright panic, their long journey came to a sudden stop.

So sudden in fact, that Tsukune, whose eyes were firmly fixed on Gin's back, didn't even notice the man had stopped before it was too late. Thus he soon found himself sitting on the moist forest bed, bewildered after bumping into the older man.

"Gin?" Tsukune whispered uncertainly as the youth in question said or did nothing to show he noticed his presence, staring at something in the distance instead.

"We're here." Gin murmured softly without turning to look at him.

Tsukune rose to his feet and dusted himself a bit, grimacing at the newfound dampness in his bottom. Then he directed his gaze to where his companion was looking, and was met with the sight of a small run-down cottage. It looked like it was long abandoned and unkempt, with thick moss covering the roof and scruffy vines reaching all the way to the ground. _Well at least the windows are intact_, Tsukune thought with some sarcastic relief.

"Umm...so what exactly is this place?" Tsukune finally asked in confusion while rubbing his neck.

"A little something I came across on my hunts", Gin answered and turned to look at him at last, a mischievous grin splitting his face.

Momentarily the horrific images of Gin purposely dragging him here in the middle of nowhere to eat him came back to Tsukune, but she shoved them away and forced himself to speak.

"H-hunts?"

"Well, I am a werewolf after all. When my powers reach their highest potential at the times of full moon, I've got to spend that energy on something." Gin shrugged nonchalantly, stepping forward.

"I see..." Tsukune replied nervously. _He really is a beast_, he thought. Of course he knew by now that everyone at the academy besides him were monsters, but with their constant human forms and all, it was sometimes so easy to forget.

"C'mon, let's get in." Gin called at him when Tsukune remained still.

Popping out of his momentary daze again, Tsukune hurried after the other boy.

* * *

The interior of the small cottage was not much of an improvement over its outer appearance. Beyond the tiny hallway was a single large room, in the middle of which lay a wooden table rounded by four chairs. A sink and a few cupboards occupied one wall, while the three others had windows on them, two of which were medium in size while the remaining one only a square approximately as large as a soccer ball. Dead leaves and other rubbish lay in heaps at each corner while all surfaces were covered in a thick layer of dust.

_I can sort of see why Gin wanted to have our conversation here, _Tsukune mused while admiring a spectacular spider web near the ceiling. _No way in hell anybody else would want to come near this place._

"So what was it you wanted to talk about?" Tsukune asked while tearing his gaze from the surrounding disaster, slightly frustrated and eager to finally hear the reason why Gin had arranged him in such a plight.

Gin seemed to hesitate the briefest of moments before answering bluntly, his tone level yet with a tinge of excitement:

"I want you to help me fight the Student Police."

Tsukune's jaw dropped.

"WH-WHAAAT!!?" The boy exclaimed reflexively, unable to comprehend the other's words.

Gin gave a painful grimace and flinched, finding his junior's reaction highly uncomfortable. He had expected it, however; it was part of the reason he brought him here, where he could yell all he wanted without anyone else hearing, in the first place.

But Tsukune seemed to take no heed of his companion's discomfort, for his eyes turned watery and his entire expression gained a dreamy look. The boy could think of nothing more to say, so astonished and caught off guard he was by Gin's announcement. He, Gin, Kurumu, Moka, Yukari, everyone in the newspaper club was agitated over the Police Committee's resolve to cease their activities. But out of all of them, Gin had actually been the only one to oppose the idea of taking active measures against Kuyo and his group, reasoning it would be worthless to try fight such a powerful a faction as they were.

But opinions could change, it appeared, and Tsukune couldn't have been happier by Gin's drastic change of heart.

"G-Gin..." He finally managed, "why would you..?"

"Yes, I know, I know! I thought opposing the Student Police was a bad idea, and I still think it is, but seeing how the rest of you got all sad and wimpy about it, I figured I'd at least make you know first hand how pointless it is to fight them." Gin answered the other boy's admiring look with a rushed explanation before admitting with a huff: "And I kind of like to hang out with you guys a bit, too."

Tsukune beamed.

"That's great to hear, Gin-senpai!" He nodded vigorously, "But...why did you tell this to me alone, and in secret no less?" He wondered aloud, "I mean, wouldn't it have been better to say this when all of us were present, so we could plan this together?" He finished, confusion evident in his voice.

Gin's face turned a shade or two more serious. He let the mood sink in for a while before carefully answering:

"The thing is, I don't want to mix the girls up in this, Tsukune. There's been a lot of crap pouring down on them already, and knowing how dangerous it is what we're about to do, I think it's best if as few of us are involved as possible."

The boy thought this for a while. He did see where Gin was coming from; after all, Moka had been nearly molested by a classmate in the first days of school, Kurumu had been stalked by that creepy snail photographer, and Yukari had been bullied all of her young life because of her mixed heritage and intelligence, culminating to the recent attempt of the lizard men to eat her. Not to mention that all of them had been scathed on various occasions when pulling him out of all kinds of trouble. In this sense, Tsukune agreed wholeheartedly that they all deserved at least a brief moment of respite. However...

"It's true what you're saying, Gin, but...we could really use their strength in this. I mean, if it's just you and me, and...you know, I'm not all that powerful or anything..." Tsukune trailed off, his voice lowering towards the end in embarrassment.

Gin's features tensed visibly, and when he replied, his voice was bordering on a wolfish bark.

"Stupid! Gosh, can't you be a man for a change, damn it!? Just look how much they've done for you already, do you really want to pull them into another mess as well!?" He roared, clearly attempting to provoke and challenge the younger man before him.

Tsukune blanched. Then the color on his face changed yet again, an angry blush creeping up his neck to his cheeks.

"No, you hairy cockroach, I have no desire to cause any harm for my friends. I just think its pretty damn reckless to take on the Student Police with the two of us alone, that's all."

Gin calmed down remarkably, deciding to let the other boy's insult slip by as well. _Damn twit_. His provocation had produced the wanted results, anyway.

"Don't worry, I've got some together history with that Kuyo guy, and I think you and I can come up with something to throw them down. So what do you say, are you with me?"

After his initial burst of anger, Tsukune's flame had cooled down somewhat, causing him to doubt their actions again. But there was no going back now, and with a corrected posture, Tsukune gave a fierce nod.

"You bet I am."

A conspirational smirk took over the older man's features, and together the two of them began to device a plan to fight their oppressors and keep their band of friends together.


	2. Before the Storm

Chapter Two: Before the Storm

Two weeks later, the newspaper club had been disbanded.

In the end, despite all their efforts and will to fight, there was nothing they could do against the power of the Student Police. With the authority and power granted to their charismatic leader Kuyo, they had been crushed with an iron fist. All the remaining newspapers they had, the remnants of their finished issues and everything work-in-progress, had been taken away from them and burned to ashes. They still remembered the awful atmosphere that had hung in the air when they had watched the procession, with the members of the newspaper club somber as if in someone's funeral, as they actually were in a way, and the law enforcers of the Student Police grinning like there was nothing they enjoyed doing more.

But destroying everything they had hadn't been enough for the Student Police. In addition to burning all the newspaper material they had, they had confiscated all the supplies they needed to make the newspapers as well as taken the clubroom for their own use. With the newspapers themselves as well as the necessities to make them gone and a lifelong ban to the clubroom for all the previous members, it was a safe bet for anyone to say that the newspaper club was gone forever.

With these events weighing down upon her mind, Moka Akashiya sat at her desk quietly, a look of utter sadness and defeat tainting her usually cheerful and happy features. She sat with her chin rested in the palm of her hand, gazing absently out the window and trying to drown the worries in her mind by taking in the even bleaker look of the monster world outside. But no matter how hard she stared, the bare skulls, leafless and contorted trees, and the crooked and jagged tombstones only served to remind her why she _shouldn't _be so down. After all, she was a monster herself, and thus she found the surrounding scenery rather charming. _Tsukune's human views must have rubbed off on me a bit_, she sighed as she thought about the first friend she'd made when she came to the Monster Academy.

Aono Tsukune. As much as thinking about one of her closes friends and a primary love interest normally brightened her mood, this time the effect was exactly the opposite.

Indeed, the unusual actions and mannerisms of the brown-haired boy only served to add to Moka's list of concerns. With the recent developments, she could've understood perfectly well why there would be a change of mood in all of them, since she was clearly feeling one in herself. But what she saw in the youth nowadays was beyond anything she could fathom.

Ever since the newspaper club had been shut down, or even some days before it, Tsukune had abruptly become more distant to all of them. Whenever she would try to seek his company, he would apologize and excuse himself for something he had to do. Whenever she would try to rekindle the flame between them by playfully asking if she could suck some of his blood, he would uncharacteristically deny her and say he really needed all of his strength right now. And whenever she tried to softly inquire if something was wrong, all she received for an answer was the single elusive yet exhaustive word: "nothing".

She had noticed similar symptoms in the president of their now dead club, Gin. But him she dismissed by reasoning that with the actually creative responsibilities now out of the way, the obsessive werewolf had now reverted back to his favourite pastime of chasing beautiful girls. _Pervert._

Overall, the death of the newspaper club that held the small group of friends close together had been bad enough, but coupled with the fact that the object of her affections was now seemingly avoiding her was almost too much for Moka to bear. Without the boy's continuous assertions that nothing was wrong and everything was as it had been between them, Moka thought she could have really been on the verge of lapsing into serious depression.

A clattering sound next to her pulled the pink-haired girl out of her dark musings. Looking to her side, she found none other than the partial reason for her gloominess taking his seat.

"G-good morning, Tsukune", she began hesitantly, wondering if she would again receive the cool treatment she'd so gotten used to in the past few days.

For a moment it seemed her fears would be fulfilled, as the chocolate-eyed youth said nothing to her greeting at first. But just when Moka was about to repeat herself in a tad more desperate tone, Tsukune spoke up with a start, as if he'd woken up from a daydream:

"Oh, hello there, Moka. Good morning to you, too."

His tone carried his usual politeness, Moka noted with some relief, but she still couldn't help feeling a bit down at the slight absent-mindedness that was evident in him.

"Did you...sleep well?" Moka asked uncertainly, marking the boy's somewhat haggard appearance.

"Hmm? Ah, yes...yes I did, Moka. And you?" Tsukune replied after a moment's grogginess, blinking his eyes which were rounded by dark circles.

Moka nodded and returned the positive answer, eyeing worriedly the youth next to her.

The conversation died. Moka stole several sidelong glances at her friend, noticing the various signs attesting that Tsukune had most certainly _not _slept well in what must have been many days. Besides his tired eyes, the deep furrows on his brow, the thin line of his pursed lips and the roughed edges of his entire countenance spoke of one seriously troubled young man.

Yet the pink-haired vampire could not say that the changes in him were all for the worse, for restless as the boy seemed, through his battered features shone a determination unlike Moka had ever seen in him before.

Heaving a small sigh, Moka deemed that asking for a quick morning snack of the boy's blood would be futile. Thus she fished a can of tomato juice from her school bag to satiate her thirst, deciding to put the issue with him on hold for a later date.

* * *

"Kurumuuuu~"

"Mmmmhh?"

"Kuurumuuuu~"

"Mmmmmh?

"Ku-"

"Oh, for god's sake, what is it?" Kurumu Kurono, the blue-haired succubus, snapped and turned to look at her tormentor.

An average looking guy with a dark, flat hair held a pair of chopsticks out to her, in between which was a small amount of rice and soy sauce.

"I made this especially for youuu~" The hapless fellow chirped on, "Now say aaaaaah...!"

Kurumu regarded the sight of the boy offering his self made lunch to her with a mixture of distaste and guilt. It was just one of the mindless slaves she'd cast under her spell, a single link in the chain of her harem; a project she thought she'd abandoned already. But the downfall of her beloved newspaper club had also brought about ill developments in her relationships with her friends, and so the succubus found herself lapsing into her old ways of seeking cheap attention.

Sighing, Kurumu snatched the offered chopsticks and lunchbox in her own hands. "I'll eat it myself, thanks."

Despite the cold treatment he received, the boy continued to stare at Kurumu with loving eyes. When the blue-haired succubus noticed this, she shooed him off irately with the first menial task coming to her mind:

"Aargh! Go get me a bottle of water or something!"

"Right away, my princess!" The boy cooed and immediately took off with a brisk pace.

Unfortunately, the departure of one admirer meant the arrival of dozens more, as the horde of equally love struck guys burst forth all around her. All of them expressed their love for her either with enthusiastic words or affectionate gestures, encouraged by one of their rivals being out of the picture.

Again the poor succubus was forced to shout a string of commands, causing her gathered fans to split up in various directions.

_Alone at last_, Kurumu mentally sighed as the boys' noisy cheering receded.

The succubus returned to her lunch and gazed at the small lake opening before her. She was sitting on a bench by a path near the woods, far away from the school grounds. The lake's dark waters stirred slightly in the light breeze, which carried the heavy scent of rotting leaves.

_The newspaper club is gone_, the thought repeated itself in her head like a vile, broken record. Just like with all the other members, the destruction of the club was an extremely hard blow for Kurumu. If possible, the succubus felt the loss even more so than the others, for she had come to view their newspaper almost as her own child. She had worked so hard for it, suffered for it, and nearly even lost her friends because of it.

And now it was done for, like it had never even existed.

Thinking about all that had changed because of the loss of the club only made it worse. When the club was still going strong, Kurumu had passed the daily banters with Yukari, Moka, and Gin as mere irritating aspects of her everyday life, but now that they were gone, she found that she missed them dearly. Her bickering with the young witch was, although sometimes irksome, actually quite fun as she got to exchange silly insults with someone she could easily consider as her younger sister. The continuous advances of the werewolf were also troublesome, but while Kurumu wasn't exactly thrilled with their senior's perverted ways, somehow she had always known she could trust the older youth in earnest. What came to Moka, the attractive succubus never got quite over the fact that the pink-haired vampire had a strong hold on her beloved Tsukune, but then again, in their fierce rivalry she had found an equally strong bond with the other girl.

But most of all, Kurumu decided, she missed her self-proclaimed Mate of Fate, Tsukune.

The succubus had to do enough fighting for his attention while in the club, but now that it was gone, she found the boy of his affections becoming even more distant from her. But despite the disaster that had occurred, Kurumu had not given up on chasing him who she had decided to be her destined one. Thus unheeding of everyone's sunken mood, she had continued glomping the youth and smothering him with the gigantic mounds of her chest whenever she had the chance, just like she always had.

The thing was, the boy had become surprisingly skillful at avoiding her attacks as of late. Ever since the last days of the club, Kurumu had found her jumps at him going amiss as her target managed to dodge her more often than not. Quickly his maneuvers became even more agile, and nowadays the busty succubus had to congratulate herself if she even caught a glimpse of the boy before he was gone from sight. It baffled her thoroughly; how something that had never happened before had become a custom in such a short time.

All in all, Kurumu felt miserable. Not only had the newspaper club been destroyed, but along with it her relationships with her friends had also suffered gravely. Thus with the growing feeling of loneliness smoldering in her chest, Kurumu found herself accepting the vain comfort that the false love of her slaves offered.

* * *

When Yukari's head landed for the third time on the book she was reading, she gave up her studying and slammed the volume in front of her shut. Leaning back in her seat, she rubbed her eyes in an attempt to fight the drowsiness that the cosy warmth of the school's library caused in her.

Besides her, the library was almost empty. A few other hardworking students aside from her were immersed in scrutinizing various texts, while some less serious pupils were glued to the computer screens, either concentrating on the games they were playing or just surfing the net. Otherwise the library was vacant, most of the academy's students being occupied by their own proper after school activities.

A solemn look crept over the young witch's features. _Normally I wouldn't be here either_, the 11-year-old prodigy thought with a sad sigh. _If those icky bullies hadn't messed everything up, I'd be having fun with my friends at this very moment. _Bitterness surged through the girl. She couldn't fathom why the Student Police had been so keen on destroying what was important to them, and now that they had succeeded, her hatred had been accompanied by great sadness. Trying to push it out of her mind, Yukari had sought the comfort of her relentless passion for studying. But now, after having tasted the fruit of friendship for the first time in her life, the girl found that losing it created a hole that even the most informative of books couldn't fill.

_I guess I'll just call it a day_, Yukari mused darkly, _no use to stay here and-_

"Psst, Yukari!"

The girl jumped, startled by the sudden whisper right beside her ear. She whirled around and fully expected to come face to face with someone holding an old grudge on her, but was instead met with the apologetically grinning face of Tsukune.

"Tsukune!" She shouted and leaped at the boy's neck, promptly forgetting the proper manners her surroundings required.

Tsukune patted the young witch on the back gently, silently mouthing apologies at the library's other occupants shooting angry glares at them.

"It's good to see you too, Yukari", he said as he slowly disentangled himself from the girl's firm grip.

As she noticed the disapproving looks they were given, Yukari's cheeks flushed a bit and she stepped back, allowing Tsukune to round the table and take a seat opposite from her.

"So, Yukari, how have you been?" He asked pleasantly, deciding to have some small talk before going to his business.

"Oh, if you'd only know!" The little witch exclaimed, "Ever since the club got destroyed, nothing has been too well. Moka seems to be brooding all the time, Gin looks like he doesn't even care, and even that busty cow is acting all gloomy! Suddenly they're all so distant, and worst of all, even you have started to act weird! We've all been so worried about you, Tsukune, what have you been up to all this time!?"

Tsukune listened her lamenting patiently, wearing an understanding smile without once interrupting.

"It's all right Yukari, everything's ok. I've talked with everyone, and though we're all feeling down at the moment, I'm sure it'll pass." He tried to reassure her, keeping his tone soothing.

"B-but how can you say that", she asked incredulously, "We haven't been together at all lately, and nobody seems to be doing anything to make it better."

"Ah, but it's only natural everyone needs some time alone after something like this, right?" Tsukune persuaded. "And about making things better...well, there's something I've been needing to ask you, Yukari." He continued, lowering his voice.

"What..is it?" The witch asked warily, blinking her eyes a couple of times.

Tsukune seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then he dropped his voice even further and asked huskily:

"What do you know about the Whip of Belmont?"

A shocked gasp escaped Yukari. "The Whip of Belmont? But Tsukune, how do you-"

"Yukari, _please_. I haven't got the time to explain right now, so just trust me, okay?" Receiving an insecure nod from the girl, he continued more softly: "Now, I want you to tell me everything you know about the whip."

Yukari took a moment to collect herself, after which she began her story.

"The Whip of Belmont is a powerful and rare magical item. It was originally the possession of a legendary vampire hunter, but ever since his death years and years ago, the whip has been said to have vanished without a trace. The whip also has the ability to cancel any and all magical restrictions set upon the one who wields it. When in the right hands, the Whip of Belmont can be a powerful instrument for righteous deeds, but if the user has evil intentions, it can also become a tool for most atrocious crimes."

Tsukune pondered this for a moment in silence, his eyes holding a stern look.

"Does the whip have any drawbacks? I mean, can it cause any harm to its user?" He asked, finally breaking free of his thoughts.

"No...nothing that I know of, at least." Yukari answered quietly after a moment's consideration, holding a finger to her lips uncertainly.

"I see", Tsukune mused aloud. Then he quickly turned to the witch again, addressing her with a tone of finality: "Well then, thank you very much, Yukari. Thanks to you, I feel more confident now." He swiftly got up and, after seeing the surprised and slightly hurt look on Yukari's face, he continued: "I have to go now, but I promise you, everything will be back to normal soon for sure. Until then, bye!"

"Bye..." The young witch whispered uncertainly at the retreating youth's back.

* * *

When Tsukune had tried to use his lack of strength as a counter argument to his senpai's wild plans of taking down the Student Police, he hadn't been telling the truth exactly.

He did have the strength. Probably even more so than most of the students at the Youkai Academy combined.

It all happened in a series of bizarre events during his first days at the high school for monsters. Moka, who had quickly become his best and only friend at the anti-human academy, had been assaulted by one of the other monster students in their class. In an unexplainable surge of reckless courage, Tsukune, the puny human being, had tried to protect her from the monstrous Saizou. He had been quickly eliminated, of course, as a single powerful blow from the monster had sent him to the verge of death. With his life rapidly draining out of him, Tsukune had used his last remaining strength to pull the rosary off of Moka's neck, unleashing the vampire within her.

It was then that the awakened Vampire Moka did something which would forever alter the destiny of the hapless human boy. Intrigued by his foolish attempts at pursuing a friendship with a vampire as well as, admittedly, drawn to the taste of his blood, the silver-haired beauty decided to save his life. By sinking her fangs into his neck and injecting him with her own superhuman vampire blood, that is.

The results had been interesting, to say the least. The alien blood had awakened vampiric attributes in the human boy, causing him to obtain powers beyond any human and most monsters. But even as he thus ended up beating Saizou himself with ease, Moka had warned him of the dire consequences of using his newfound strength too often. This, of course, had resulted in Tsukune deciding not to use them at all in fear of turning into a ghoul.

Until now.

An incredibly fast kick to his side pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Aargh!" Tsukune shouted in pain as he was sent flying in the air, finally collapsing against a tree a good ten yards away.

"What are you doing, boy? You'd better stay focused during a fight if you want to stay alive!" Gin, in his werewolf form, taunted from the shadows.

Tsukune's slitted eyes flashed in anger as he got back to his feet, caught by surprise yet otherwise unharmed.

"You just worry about yourself, wolf, lest you get yourself in trouble with your big mouth." He attempted to retort.

The hairy creature released a bark of laughter and charged yet again, this time approaching Tsukune head-on. When he was only inches away from the boy, he drew his arm back and prepared to strike his opponent down for good.

As Gin swung his arm down, however, his claws met only thin air. Perplexed at the sudden disappearance of the other boy, he managed to avoid barely in time Tsukune's elbow as he dove from above.

Seeing that his attack was not going to land its mark, Tsukune spun around in the air at the last moment and came crouching down on his feet. A mischievous grin spread across his features as he regarded the startled werewolf.

"Hmph. You're getting slightly better at this, boy. It's about time you did, too." Gin huffed, a tinge of approval coloring his tone.

'This' meant the intensive training the two of them had engaged in during the past couple of weeks. It had begun almost immediately they'd agreed upon fighting the Student Police alone, with Gin calling him again to the deserted shack in the woods that had become their secret base of sorts.

Back then, Tsukune had been immensely surprised and confused to see his senior carrying a strange whip. Noticing the odd looks the younger boy was giving him, Gin had opted to explain by handing the device to Tsukune. Needless to say, he had been all the more shocked to see, and _feel_, himself turning into a powerful vampire-like being so unlike his usual self, and without consciously calling upon the supernatural blood within him, too. When the boy had tried to present further questions about the whip, Gin had brushed him off by simply stating he had gotten it through 'an acquaintance' working with the school's headmaster himself. "It will help us greatly in our cause", he had added nonchalantly.

"If not for the full moon, you wouldn't have escaped that. Next time I won't miss", Tsukune breathed exhaustedly, feeling again at the Whip of Belmont that was tied tightly around his torso, allowing him to be in his current inhuman form.

"Good", the werewolf nodded, "As next time it'll be the real thing."

Seeing that the boy didn't entirely understand, Gin continued:

"Our training is now at an end, Tsukune. The Student Police has already achieved its goal of destroying the newspaper club, and if we are to take any counter measures, we must act before they settle their order for real." Gin waited for his words to sink in for the other boy, and when he saw his features adapting a look of resolution, the werewolf concluded: "We will make our move tomorrow, according to the plans we've made. Are you ready, Tsukune?"

"As ready as I'll ever be", Tsukune replied sternly after only a short moment's pause.

"Very well. Let us retire for the night, then."

As the two conspirators went their separate ways, the eve of battle came to a close, leaving the unsuspecting school grounds in wait of the coming revolution.


	3. Tearing Down

Chapter Three: Tearing Down

Kuyo gazed out the window with a smile on his face, a halfway emptied glass of wine held absently between his elegant, slender fingers.

The high spirits of the school's Student Police's leader were not in vain, for the powerful law enforcer had indeed much to be proud of. _The newspaper club_, he chuckled inwardly. _What a load of crap. _Kuyo considered his successful destruction of the club that had dared to defy his law as his newest, and in a long while, sweetest victory. This was not only because they had gone against his policies this once, but also because the Student Police had been at odds with the newspaper club before.

_That's right_, Kuyo sneered in disgust. _Once was not enough, but they actually had to stand up to me a second time! _He seethed as he thought about the skirmish he'd had with Gin and his club the year before. That time they'd settled with just cleansing the club of its impudent members, but as it appeared with the club's re-emerging and continued arrogant behaviour, it had been too soft a punishment. _But this time, _he mused as the smile returned to his lips, _there will be no more petty defiance. _The club was wiped out for good, squashed underneath his foot like a bug and only the remains waiting to be cleaned up.

As the students began to arrive through the front gates for the morning's first classes, Kuyo observed them from the second-storey window with an almost fatherly look on his face. _My faithful flock of little sheep. All in order now, all according to my peace and harmony._

His content reverie was interrupted by someone knocking on his door. Deciding not to let this intrude on his mood, Kuyo kept his smile in place and issued a permission to enter:

"Come in."

The door opened, and when Kuyo instantly recognized the visitor, the smirk on his face spread even further.

"Why, isn't this an unexpected honor!" He exclaimed, making it a clear point not to hide his malicious glee as the tall figure of Ginei Morioka strolled into the room. "The leader of the newspaper club himself makes an appearance", he continued, holding a poignant pause before the club's name.

"Hello there, Kuyo", Gin greeted, his voice devoid of any humor yet otherwise even and composed.

Slightly irritated by his failure at throwing off his old enemy, Kuyo's reply carried a sharper edge than he had intended.

"I thought I've already finished my business with you and your stupid club. That said, I would hear your reason for wasting my time right now."

"I just thought to pay my respects to the man who defeated me." Gin shrugged nonchalantly, not sounding like he meant what in said in the least.

Kuyo narrowed his eyes. "What are you plotting this time?" He spoke in a low, menacing tone.

"How are _you _doing?" Gin ignored the law enforcer's query completely, taking a seat on the couch without invitation.

The head of the Student Police closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. _Nothing to get annoyed about_, he reasoned to himself. If meaningless word games were all the former leader of the newspaper club could do in trying to get under his skin, it only proved the finality of his victory further. He was willing to play.

"Very well", He replied evenly, summoning yet again the mischievous grin to his lips.

Gin gave a knowing nod but said nothing as he took in his former clubroom's new appearance.

"I see you guys have already made yourselves quite at home" He finally commented, motioning towards the many tapestries, which were all decorated by the Student Police's emblem, hanging on the walls.

"Indeed. Since this clubroom changed owners, it felt only appropriate to make the outlook more...suitable for us, if you will." Kuyo spoke in a soft, calm tone.

"Hmm...yes, yes...those will have to be the first thing to go when I get back here." Gin muttered thoughtfully to himself, eyeing the new decorations critically without sparing a glance at his companion.

Kuyo's eyes flashed in a sudden rage, the smile falling from his face instantly. "What did you say", he growled dangerously, "If you think to-"

"Kuyo."

"_WHAT!?"_ The head of the Student Police bellowed, composure and dignity forgotten as the infuriated man struggled to comprehend the situation.

"This is your last chance to hand over the newspaper club. If you do as I say, I guarantee your punishment will not be as severe." Gin explained with a completely straight face, showing no humor nor mischief on his countenance as he spoke.

For a while Kuyo's demonic aura flared steadily as he contemplated the other man's words. The two stared at each other, Gin meeting his adversary's gaze levelly while Kuyo boiled in his wrath. Then the latter burst into a manic laughter, his inner turmoil finding a voice and filling the room.

"You say the strangest things, wolf. I didn't think even your doggy brain to be capable of coming up with such folly, yet here we are! Having your club reduced to nothing wasn't enough, now you want to get you and your friends killed? Ha, very well!" He roared, readying himself for battle.

"I figured it'd come to this." Gin chuckled with a smile. "Guess there's no helping it, then", he concluded and began to change into his werewolf form. When the transformation was complete, he stood to his full height and charged, his tattered clothes fluttering as he went.

Kuyo prepared himself for the oncoming assault, but he was utterly surprised when, instead of attacking, Gin sped right past him almost faster than his eyes could follow.

Stunned, Kuyo watched as the werewolf dashed right through the window and leapt into the air.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Gin called back at him as he was already good ways off.

Dark clouds gathered at Kuyo's brow as he watched his escaping prey disappearing into the distance. Normally his calm and collected nature would allow him to brush such behaviour off as petty insolence and deal the punishment later, but this was beyond his tolerance. An enemy he thought he'd already destroyed had come knocking on his door, infuriated him to the point of challenging him to battle, and then ran off. _No_, he thought. _I'll settle this once and for all, and I'll do it right now._

Kuyo gave chase.

* * *

That morning, Moka came to class as usual. Proceeding to her desk, she took out her textbooks and sat, waiting for the lesson to begin.

As she waited, she surveyed the classroom door and the pupils entering through it intently. As the students rolled in, many of the males cast her their usual admiring glances while the girls' eyes burned with envy. It was not long before she spotted the familiar mop of blue hair, and as Kurumu walked in, their gazes met for a moment. As the other girl quickly turned away and ignored her, her rejection hurt Moka more than she cared to admit.

But no matter how long she waited, the one she cared about the most never showed up that day.

* * *

Tsukune had never before been this terrified in his life.

_Just what is it that I'm doing, again? _He frantically thought to himself as he neared the Student Police's headquarters.

This was the culmination of everything they had gone through with and because of the school's corrupted Student Police. Their hopeless struggle to save their club in the face of such a powerful foe, the feelings of anguish and frustration when their efforts proved to be in vain, and finally, the blood, sweat, and tears he and Gin had shed over the last weeks in preparation for a counter strike that could result in much severe consequences than their previous attempts.

No longer was he the lone human being who could watch everything from afar and put his hardships to the fact that he was just that; a human without the power to do anything even if he wanted. No longer had he his friends by his side to rely on and call for help, only he and one werewolf who probably couldn't have been more thrilled to have him, _the average loser_, out of his way. He was not a human, but a monster now when aided by the magical whip squeezing the skin of his right leg, and he was not fighting alongside a friend, but a wolf. And if Tsukune had had his doubts before, then now more than ever did he question for the hundredth time if this was the right thing to do.

_Oh, please_, he whimpered in his mind, _just two of us, one a mere werewolf and the other a half-assed vampire, up against the strongest freaking monsters in the whole school! There's just no way, no way, no-_

_NO! _Tsukune almost screamed aloud. This was not the time for any lingering hesitations. He had simply come too far, and if death was what awaited him, he might as well just go and be done with it. And perhaps take one or two enemies down with him.

_I'll keep Kuyo occupied for a while and create a diversion that way, you go and stir some ruckus at their main camp. I'll be there to help you soon enough. _He desperately tried to calm himself by replaying Gin's instructions over and over in his head.

But no matter how hard he tried, the knots in his stomach did not ease up.

Tsukune rushed onward.

* * *

Deep within the Student Police's headquarters, Keito lay leisurely on a couch and stared at the ceiling. Every now and then she spat a sticky thread of spider web out of her mouth, watching with pleasure as it plastered itself wherever it landed.

_Kuyo will be pleased_, she mused fondly as she admired her handiwork. Satisfied, she closed her eyes and burrowed herself deeper into the couch. These kind of idle moments had become more frequent for her as of late. She supposed it was largely due to the successful annihilation of the newspaper club, an issue with which her leader had struggled far longer than he would've liked. With that menace out of the way, there had been a remarkable increase in his mood and he had allowed more free time for his subordinates. And Keito did not object.

A scream issuing from the headquarters' holding cells pulled her out of her pleasant reverie. _Time to tend to the prisoners_, she cooed inwardly as an evil smile stole over her features. Looking forward to the entertainment she was about to get, she rose and started for the jail area.

When she got there, she was shocked to discover that the painful shout hadn't been the work of any of the writhing prisoners, but one of their own men. A man who she recognized to be the one who was supposed to stand guard outside was laying on the ground in a pool of his own blood, unconscious and dying.

But what shocked her even more was the figure crouching next to her bloodied comrade.

A vampire. His hair tinted with a silver hue, eyes as crimson as the blood on his hands.

Keito took an involuntary step backwards, horrified by the sight. The vampire's right fist was buried deep into the now dead guardsman's bowels, blood and intestines gushing out of the wound. Her confusion only deepened when the monster remained still, his slitted red eyes glassed over and his mouth busy forming mumbling, incoherent words.

"_Sorry...I didn't mean to hurt you so bad, I really didn't. Please get up. Sorry..."_

For a moment, Keito stood aghast. Then, as the vampire slowly lifted its head to regard her with an almost lifeless look in its eyes, she recognized him to be one of the newspaper club's members. In a surge of blinding rage, the spider-woman forgot her terror and decided to take advantage of the attackers lapse in concentration.

With an ear-piercing cry of hatred, she lunged forward and kneed the vampire to the side of his face as hard as she could.

The blow was enough to send the Vampire-Tsukune flying through the prison, finally crashing against its farthest wall so hard that the concrete crumbled, creating a deep imprint on the wall.

Keito took a moment to draw in short, ragged breaths, her shoulders trembling with rage. "You bastard!" She screamed and charged again, wasting no more time in finishing off the intruder.

But unfortunately for her, the few minutes she'd taken to collect herself had been enough for the vampire to recover. Thus when she arrived at the side of her victim, this time with a powerful punch, her fist was greeted by the hard concrete wall as Tsukune moved aside in a blink of an eye.

Perplexed, Keito threw her head around to see where her prey had gone. Her gaze located the vampire just in time to see a sudden flash in front of her eyes and the next thing she knew, her head was pinned to the wall by a kick that easily crushed her left cheekbone.

The spider-woman watched from the corner of her eye the vampire behind her. Though still shocked, the monster they'd first thought to be human had regained his composure and was evidently not hesitant to use his newfound power. But even as pain pounded in her head and bloody foam trickled from the corners of her mouth, Keito refused to give up the fight. Calling yet again upon the anger in her, she spat a ball of spider web at the vampire's eyes and used the short moment of his blindedness to transform into her own monster form.

When Tsukune finally managed to get the sticky substance out of his eyes, he found that his opponent was now in her full spider form a few paces away from him. He made to attack again, but before he could take even a step forward, he was trapped to the wall behind him by a torrent of the spider's incredibly strong web.

Tsukune could do naught as all his four limbs were quickly covered in a thick blanket of spider web so strong that he couldn't move a single muscle.

Satisfied that his opponent had no chance of escaping, Keito advanced. "Ha! Are you feeling comfortable enough now, boy? Good! Now, let me tend to you some more." She cackled and began to mercilessly claw at Tsukune with her long, thin, and extremely sharp legs. She carefully avoided cutting at the bindings she'd administered, only wounding the boy's torso, neck, and face which were visible. But what was lost in not being able to tear at his arms and legs, she took back tenfold by damaging what she could in earnest.

Putting all the power she could behind her strikes, Keito _carved _Tsukune's body into an entirely new, morbid shape. Her razor-sharp legs dug deep into the vampire's skin and flesh, leaving behind long, gaping wounds. As the Student Police's second-in-command continued her work in malicious glee, crimson became the dominant color of their immediate vicinity. Pooling at their feet and splashed across the surrounding walls, the blood of the vampire ran free.

And Tsukune screamed.

The pain he felt was unlike he'd ever experienced before. It was like his body was on fire, each new cut like a lick of scorching flames against his skin. As the awful torture proceeded, all coherent thoughts fled his mind and were replaced with nothing but soaring agony. As his vision began to cloud and the boy was teetering on the verge of insanity, he desperately grabbed onto the one instinct that whispered in his head through all the pain: survival.

Calling upon he's vampire blood more daringly than he ever had, Tsukune pushed his limits and willed his limbs to move. The effort caused him to unconsciously growl at the back of his throat as the superhuman blood coursed rapidly through his veins, bulging them in the process. At the pinnacle of his strain, he released a mighty roar and the next thing he knew, the bindings were snapped and he was free.

Tsukune wasted no time but planted his feet against the wall and pushed, leaping forward and away from the spider-woman.

It took a while for Keito to notice her prey was gone. When the realization dawned, she turned around to see where Tsukune had gone.

"What are you doing? Get back here right this instant, I'm not done with you yet!" She demanded, drunk on the violence and not understanding the direness of her situation.

"As you wish", Tsukune replied boldly, angered by the arrogance and cruelty of the spider-being.

He charged forward, and within a fraction of a second, he was right in front of Keito and ready to slam his fists on the creature's face.

Bewildered, Keito managed to bring forth her foremost fangs just in time to shield herself from the impact. Thus instead of damaging her face, Tsukune's hands closed around the spider's deadly fangs.

As the vampire applied more pressure and began to twist the canine teeth as if trying to break them, Keito released an awful screech of pain and started to struggle against her opponent's hold.

She didn't have to do so for long, for as Tsukune now had the creature distracted, he swiftly delivered a powerful kick right underneath its lower jaw, destroying the insides of the spider's mouth completely as well as slamming the monster up against the roof.

When the spider-woman fell back to the floor, the rest was an easy job for Tsukune. Deprived of the usage of her poison fangs as well as suffering from severe concussion due to the kick to her head, Keito couldn't do much but defend herself the best she could as Tsukune began to shower her with different kind of kicks and blows from all directions. He moved so quickly that the spider had trouble keeping up with his movements, and when his strikes landed, they were powerful and destructive.

"Ready to..huff..huff..give up..huff..huff..now..huff..are you..huff? Tsukune panted, his energy and hatred both now spent.

The spider lay helpless on the ground, its body mutilated and beaten to a mess of blood and carnage.

"You might have beaten me, bastard, but..."

"But what", Tsukune demanded, "Are you still looking for a fight?"

"I wonder how you'll fare against the rest of us." The spider-woman concluded with a hoarse laughter, casting a brief glance behind the vampire's shoulder before passing out.

Tsukune spun around immediately and was met with the sight of at least a dozen black suited law enforcers of the Student Police standing ahead of him.

Among the gathered men was the one guard he thought he'd killed. _I guess I should've been more thorough after all._ He thought tiredly as the exhaustion of his battle with Keito and now the promise of a new one robbed him of what strength he had left.

"Well done", he heard one of the law enforcer's commending the injured one who had alarmed them, "But as you know, the Student Police tolerates no failures." He finished and beheaded the man in question with a single strike of his sword.

"Now then, it is time we clean this please of one vampiric shit"

As the mob transformed into their monster forms and rushed to greet him, Tsukune found himself incapable of offering the slightest resistance.

* * *

When Gin arrived at the scene, he was met with the sight of one spider-monster, a few other members of the Student Police, and one very, very beaten Tsukune all lying on the ground.

He swept his gaze over the disaster once, and when he noticed some of the law enforcers were still standing, he immediately proceeded to take them down. The action didn't take him much effort, for his movements were fueled as much by the frenzy of battle as well as panic for what might have happened to his sole accomplice.

"Tsukune, are you all right? Wake up already, will you!?" Gin shouted, shaking the boy's motionless body and slapping his face in trying to pull him out of his unconsciousness.

_This isn't how it was supposed to be,_ The werewolf thought with growing dread. To say he was friends with the lifeless youth in his arms would've been a blatant lie. Accustomed as he was to being the center of female attention, having his spot stolen by a younger competitor who didn't sport any of his charming attributes had been a bitter pill to swallow for Gin. Thus he had even entertained a half-serious wish that the boy might perish in the war they waged.

But above all, Gin was a senior student who truly cared about his close schoolmates. And now that his partial wish seemed to have come true, he found it to be more of a nightmare.

"Tsukune!" He called his name again, and this time he thought he could see some movement behind the boy's closed eyelids.

The moment of joy was short lived, however, as the appearing presence of an extremely powerful monster aura alerted Gin to turn around

"A dead-end, now isn't it, wolf?" Kuyo leered, his demonic aura flaring like a bonfire around him and a manic grin splitting his face. "I didn't think you'd run straight for my lair, but that is all the better for me!"

_Damnit, _The werewolf muttered under his breath and reflexively took the still sleeping Tsukune in his arms to shelter.

"All right big boy, I'm ready when you are." Gin spoke as he faced Kuyo again, trying to sound confident despite the nervous sweat running from his brow.

"I'll send the both of you to your graves!" The head of the Student Police taunted as a small ball of fire began to form in his hand.

He cast the flames towards Gin who dodged them easily, leaping out of the way before the attack came even close.

"That was just the warm up." Kuyo said playfully as he watched the wolf jump about. "Prepare for the real action!" And at that moment the fox-demon swung one of its four tails at Gin, capturing him by the ankle and lifting him into the air.

As Gin struggled against the fiery bind, Kuyo began to smash him against the surrounding walls. Left, right, up, and down, the fox-demon swung his tail in all directions and forced the werewolf to make painful acquaintance with all the obstacles in his way.

"Well? Does it feel pleasant enough, or shall we add more pressure? Or are you even alive anymore?" Kuyo laughed as he watched the suffering wolf dangling from the end of his tail.

_Is this how it ends? _Gin thought miserably as he continued to fly through the air and slam against the hard surfaces every few seconds. _We were so close...and to think there's only one more standing in our way..._From the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of Tsukune, who was still lying in blissful oblivion.

Gin's mind screamed in frustration as he thought about their helpless situation. Frustration turned to anger, and it was anger that the werewolf harnessed to his last, desperate source of power. He bent himself towards the burning tail coiled around his leg, braced himself, and bit down on it with all his might.

Kuyo released a howl of pain as Gin continued to bite his tail relentlessly. The werewolf's mouth was scorched by the part of the fox-demon between his jaws, and he thought he could almost feel his teeth melting. Still, he hung on to his dear life even as his own blood began to trickle down his chin, as much because of the damage done by the fiery tail as the power with which he bit it.

Finally the tail snapped in two, and Gin tumbled to the ground as the injured law-enforcer pulled back what was left of the appendage.

"That really stung, you son of a bitch!" Kuyo growled angrily while Gin slowly rose to his feet.

Despite the agonizing torment he'd just experienced, Gin found it in himself to jibe at his long time enemy. "My pleasure, Kuyo, my pleasure."

"We'll see how long you can hold on to that grin of yours." The fox demon seethed as he readied another, this time much bigger, bowl fire in his fist.

And as the werewolf yet again watched the horde of flames approach, he discovered he couldn't move. One of his legs was burned to the point it was a miracle it was still intact, while the other, along with many other parts of his body, was severely broken. Realizing he had no chance of escape, Gin remained on his knees and accepted his fate. _At least I'm in the right place. _He thought with a small laugh as he saw Tsukune on the ground behind him, shielded by his body.

Finally the fiery waves washed over him, and as Gin bathed in the scorching flames, the young wolf understood with the smallest amount of comfort that he had done all he could.

"There you go! I sincerely thank you for the entertainment, but the show is over now, my good enemies. Rot in peace!"

The fires continued to blaze, reflected in the fox-demon's eyes which were gleaming in the mirth of triumph.


	4. Aftermath

Chapter Four: Aftermath

"Did you hear what happened?"

"Yeah, it's totally unbelievable, isn't it?"

"You bet!"

"I mean, they jacked up like, half the clubrooms in the second floor!"

"Uh-huh. Not mention most of the school grounds is all screwed up now..."

"That's true...but still, don't you think it's kinda cool that it finally happened?"

"How so?"

"Well, you can't exactly say all that many would've really liked Kuyo and his lot. I for one sure am happy they're gone!"

"There is that, I guess. But even then, I can't help but think it'd be better if nothing had happened after all."

"What!? How can you say that?" Just think about all that..."

All around the great hall of the Youkai Academy, similar conversations were taking place. Whether in pairs or small groups, the students where abuzz, whispering about the recent events to one another.

Ever since the early hours of the morning, rumours about a violent confrontation between the school's Student Police and a still unknown faction had started circulating. The previous day the school had been closed all of a sudden for a reason nobody seemed to know, but with the loud crashing noises and flashes of light that had been heard and seen, it was a safe guess for anyone that something very serious was going on. When the young monsters had seen the partially destroyed school building, the ruined nearby environment, and the ruins of the Student Police's headquarters in the distance, their suspicions were confirmed.

The opinions regarding the incident were mixed. Some hailed the yet nameless perpetrators as heroes, whereas others labeled them as vile scoundrels. One thing was common for all: the school was in disarray, and as the overthrowing of the campus's former ruler was the issue on everyone's lips, no one was able to concentrate on normal student activities.

"Proud pupils of Youkai Academy!" A voice announced from the front of the hall where the school's headmaster was starting his speech. "I would have all your attention for a moment."

At the subtle yet obvious command of the headmaster, the bustling students in the great hall fell silent at once.

"Good" The extraordinary man in the priestly robes nodded. "I am sure most of you are aware of this already, but I shall make it completely clear to all of you right here and now: this academy's Student Police, led formerly by the law-enforcer Kuyo, is officially no more."

A collective gasp rang throughout the crowd and everybody burst into loud conversation. Like the headmaster said, it was not as if the Student Police's downfall wasn't common knowledge already. But having the news confirmed and announced publicly gave the incident an air of finality, and it was enough to send the students again into a turmoil.

The headmaster silenced the hall with a raise of his hand. "Now, as you surely have seen, the incident has left its violent mark upon our academy." He continued, referring to the property damage the Student Police's fight had caused. "And while complete renovation and readjusting is sure to take time, you may rest assured that the schoolwork will continue as usual."

At this, some disappointed sighs could be heard here and there among the students. Of course nobody wanted to have their daily lives to be overly affected by such unpleasant occasions, but still there were some who had silently hoped the disturbance to cause a few classes to be cancelled and thus allow them more spare time.

"Another thing I would like to remind you of at times like these", the headmaster went on, bringing everyone's attention back to him, "is the fact that although we've lost the authoritative faction of our school, inappropriate behaviour is not any more accepted. That meaning, violating the school rules leads to as severe consequences as they always would. With these points in mind, I wish you all a pleasant and peaceful day at school. You are dismissed."

As the headmaster concluded his speech, the assembled students erupted once again into rumbling conversations while beginning to shuffle out of the hall.

Among them, one pink-haired vampire, a succubus, and a young witch with a pointy hat sought each other and huddled together and left as a group.

* * *

"Unbelievable!" Kurumu exclaimed in anger and slammed her fists against the table they were sitting at.

As the morning assembly had taken long enough for the first class to be cancelled, Yukari, Kurumu, and Moka decided to use the remaining time by going to the school's cafeteria to enjoy what breakfast they could and discuss the issue at hand.

"Giving us all high and mighty speech like that and then not bothering to really explain a thing!" The blue-haired succubus went on, her friends making no effort to interrupt her in her wrath.

"I don't like it either", Yukari finally managed, her voice as fragile as her young frame and her eyes fixed on the table's surface.

"Well obviously you don't! Can't you really figure out anything better to say, smart ass?" Kurumu snapped, unconsciously taking her frustration onto the young witch.

"Kurumu!" Moka interjected as Yukari blanched at the succubus's harsh words. "None of this is any of our fault in the least, so let's just leave the accusations out of it, okay?"

"S-sorry", the blue-haired girl mumbled, a pang of shame causing her to lower her head as some of the anger drained out of her.

Silence fell over the three as each contemplated the situation for a moment. Over the last couple of weeks the group of friends had been ruthlessly torn apart as the newspaper club had been shut down. Instead of sticking together, they had all retreated to their own shells to mourn over their loss. Tsukune and Gin had begun to display more suspicious behaviour than they ever had, while the girls had all tried to nurse their wounds their own respective ways.

To top it off, their sworn enemy the Student Police had been now causing again chaos in the school, right when things were beginning to turn back to relatively normal.

"Well at least those hoodlums got what they deserved." The little witch broke the spell after a while, trying to lift the atmosphere despite the tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.

"Ah, yes...you're definitely right about that one, Yukari!" Moka answered with a weak laugh.

Seeing the gloomy and strained scene playing before her, the fiery-natured succubus decided it was time to do something about it.

"Oh, for god's sake! Alright, me and the two of you", she said while grabbing Yukari and Moka by the wrist, "are going to find those idiots right now!"

By _those idiots _the blue-haired succubus meant the two males of their gang, Gin and Tsukune. The two of them had been distant and aloof towards the girls for weeks, and now that the situation was even more dire and confusing, they were still nowhere to be seen. Now it seemed the determined succubus had decided the time of secrecy and hiding was over. _You'd better have a good excuse for yourselves_, Kurumu fumed to herself as she thought about the worry and heartache the two had recently caused for the rest of them.

"B-but what about class?" Moka poorly attempted to argue against her friend's resolve despite having wanted to do exactly the same.

"Screw class, this is more important by far." The succubus stated without missing a beat, voicing simply what everyone was truly thinking.

With no one having nothing to refute Kurumu's course of action with, the small group of girls exited the cafeteria and started on a hunt of one wolf and one man.

* * *

When Tsukune woke up from the darkness of his dreams, he opened his eyes to see the surrounding reality to be filled with more darkness.

He blinked his eyes a few times, making sure to himself he was truly awake and adjusting his sight to the lack of proper lighting. When he was relatively certain he was up to the task, he made an attempt to raise his body from whatever surface he was lying on.

A screaming pain in his midsection sent him right back down. Along the pain came clarity, and at once Tsukune remembered everything that had happened.

_The Student Police! _He thought frantically. _I fought that spider-thing and then..._ His memories were cut off at the point where he had defeated Keito, only to be assaulted and knocked out by a horde of other members of the law-enforcer group.

Panic washed over his mind. _D-did we lose? _His last clear recollections were certainly not of victory. _But if we did...how come were still alive? And where the heck are we? ...w-we? _Tsukune inwardly trailed off in confusion as he couldn't fathom why he was thinking as if there would've been more besides him.

_G-GIN!, _He remembered his accomplice at last, having momentarily managed to forget all about him due to having fought Keito and some of the other law-enforcers on his own. Tsukune grit his teeth, preparing himself to try getting up a second time.

When he finally heaved his body upwards again, he was surprised to discover it was actually manageable. Despite the tough pain which was still present, it didn't bother him now that he had gotten over his initial shock.

Taking in his surroundings, it didn't take long for Tsukune to notice he was in a holding cell of sorts. It was far from the normally dismal prison booths, however, as the room was clean and the beds were modest. But the heavy steel bars guarding the space and the lack of windows made sure the message was cut across: this was no friendly room for resting nor the infirmary.

As Tsukune became fairly certain he was no imminent danger despite the suspicious location, his eyes fell upon the other bed and its occupant in the room. And sure enough there lay the familiar werewolf and his partner-in-crime. Like him, Gin seemed to be fine, with what he could tell from the distance. Tsukune watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, pleased to see he was sleeping soundly instead of fighting for his life.

But after the moment of relief at finding out his companion was okay, the boy discovered himself to be taken over by a surge of irrational anger. _Bastard_, he snorted to himself. _Where the hell were you? _He thought bitterly, remembering how he passed out without once seeing his accomplice coming to his aid.

Tsukune had thought it was a good thing the senior youth was resting peacefully, but now he decided the wolf had been lying comfortably long enough.

"Hey Gin!" He called, unconsciously maintaining his voice as a whisper so as to not alert any outside attention.

Seeing that his effort had no effect on the sleeping werewolf, the boy muttered a string of curses under his breath and swung his legs over the side of the bed, intent on rising to his feet. Remembering the pain his earlier rushed endeavor had caused, Tsukune took care to assess his condition and make sure to adjust his body up to the task.

It was only then he noticed that sometime during his unconsciousness, his wounds had been tended to. The treatment had been done quite professionally no less, with lots of bandages tied around his chest and abdomen tightly. With some trepidation, he found the Whip of Belmont from around his leg was also gone. _Really, considering I'm even able to be awake and think clearly, I should be more than grateful_, he mused with no little amount of awe.

_Well, here goes nothing! _Tsukune gave one last mental push to himself and heaved his body upwards. Wobbling on his feet a minute or two, he finally deemed he could manage the few paces it took to get to Gin's bed.

But when he reached the werewolf's side, he could feel most of his anger drain away immediately. Unlike Tsukune, Gin's bandages didn't stop at his midsection. From the crown of his head down to his ankles, the wolf was completely wrapped in the white stripes. Only his hands and feet and the small area around his face was left uncovered, and what little could be seen of his skin was a mess of burned flesh and abscessed blisters. From the way the bandages conformed his head so closely, Tsukune could guess that the werewolf's rich dark hair was no more.

Shocked and suddenly ashamed he'd even thought about disturbing his companion, Tsukune abruptly made to turn around and go back to his own bed. But flustered as he was, the boy stumbled in his hurry and fell to the floor with a loud thud.

"Ugh..." The awakened Gin moaned painfully, aroused by Tsukune's clamoring.

The young boy cursed his mistake and darted to the other's side, readying comforting words and gestures in his mind.

"You okay, Gin? Shh, it's alright, it's just me, Tsukune. Can you hear me?"

Confusion arose to the older man's features, his eyes narrowed and staring at Tsukune's face as if trying to bring his vision into focus.

"Wh-where are we?" He finally managed to ask, his voice a whisper as he was getting accustomed to speech after such a long time.

"I'm not exactly sure, it looks like some kind of prison cell or something." Tsukune explained and added, when he saw terror momentarily flashing across the werewolf's countenance: "No worries though, it doesn't look so bad and they've even bandaged us up some."

"Bandaged...?" Gin murmured, perplexed. It was then that he seemed to notice something was truly wrong, for his next question brought Tsukune to the uncomfortable position of explaining his condition.

"Tsukune...my skin feels kinda funny...what's going-"

"You were injured. No, we both were." The boy cut him off, not needing to hear the rest to understand what the other wanted to know. "It looks", Tsukune gulped before continuing, "It looks like you were burned pretty bad.." He concluded softly, averting his eyes.

During the next few moments Gin looked and felt over his own body carefully, inspecting the extent of the damage as the memories returned to him in bits and pieces.

"Well shit", he finally breathed with a mixture of humour and bitterness. "Thank you Kuyo, thank you so fucking much." The muttered to himself and shook his head.

"What happened, Gin?" Tsukune interjected to his elder's grim monologue. "I mean, I fought Keito and some of the others like you told me to, but then you never showed up..."

"What happened, huh? I met up with Kuyo, led him to where you were, and got myself beaten _and _burned by him, all the while protecting your sleeping lazy ass! _That's _what happened, you dimwit." Gin snapped, irritated by the barest hint of accusation in his younger companion's words.

"I-I see", Tsukune flinched. "Sorry, I just kinda passed out before you came, so I just thought...yeah." Tsukune mumbled in embarrassment, the whole truth behind the affair dawning to him only now.

"Nevermind, kid. It's not your fault you didn't know, and I guess I too could've come to help you a bit earlier. Besides", Gin spoke as he noticed he'd unintentionally upset the boy, "you did well with those guys. Beating one damn powerful spider-chick and a whole bunch of other monsters by yourself, now that's quite a feat right there, dude." He commended heartily, flashing Tsukune a wide, boyish grin.

"I-I'm just happy we both made it out alive.", Tsukune laughed nervously at the other man's compliments. "I certainly could've gone a lot worse."

A slightly awkward silence descended over the two. Tsukune sat beside Gin on the bed, supporting the werewolf as he was still somewhat tired due to his injuries and the long time in dormant sleep. His eyes fixed absently on one corner of the room, a tinge of red colored the boy's cheeks after the unusual conversation with his senior. Gin, on the other hand, seemed more calm, for his lips were curved in a thoughtful smile and he appeared to be in a content reverie.

"Speaking of which", the older of the two finally broke the daze, "how _did _it go in the end? I mean, you passed out long before me, and I sure as hell didn't beat Kuyo either, so...what's up?"

"I believe _I _can provide an answer for that." A voice boomed from the door to their cell, effectively cutting across any thought or say the boys might've had. They snapped their eyes towards the sudden speaker and found themselves staring at the whitely cloaked figure of the school's headmaster.

"M-Mr. Chairman!" They gasped in shocked unison, their first thought gushing out of their mouth before they knew it.

"Ah, I'm glad to see you have recovered your wits enough to recognize me." The headmaster replied with a mixture of sarcasm and pleasantry. "After what you two did and the damage that followed, I dared not hope so much."

The look on the werewolf's face darkened. A powerful man or not, Gin was not one to swallow such mockery from anyone without biting. "And I hope you have something more intelligent to say than that."

"You do much in assuming that you are in position to hope for anything from me, especially without showing the least bit gratefulness for what I've already done for you." The headmaster warned, losing some of his humour.

"Well thanks", Gin deadpanned. Though it didn't appear like it, the headmaster had already put Gin in his place by making him comply to his subtle commands.

"That's better." The man in white garbs commended softly.

"So, could you finally tell us what you know, now that you've taken the time to come see us here and all?" Gin prodded now that the situation had settled.

"Ah, yes indeed. There actually isn't very much to it, really." The white-clad figure began nonchalantly. "You two simply created a mess, one that you weren't able to clean up yourselves. That's when I came up and did only what was necessary." He explained as if everything should've been as clear as day.

"Could you...be a little more specific?" Tsukune ventured this time, having been quiet until now and deciding he could just as well be the one to voice his and his companion's shared confusion.

"Why, I arrived just in time to see Gin go up in flames. Satisfied there was only one ruffian, that being Kuyo himself, left to take care of, I did just that. What more would you need to know?"

Slack-jawed, Tsukune and Gin just stared at the headmaster of their school, staring them back with shining eyes and the ever-present wicked smile plastered on his face.

"Y-you removed the highest ranking security officer of your own school?" Gin managed to stammer out at last, incredulous.

"Security officer? Fancy hearing you using that name of him, Gin." The headmaster chuckled before continuing: "Yes, I did. And truth be told, I had been planning to do so for a good while. He and his lot had grown quite troublesome as of late, and your antics gave me a good cause to do away with them in one fell swoop. So in that regard, I suppose I should be thanking you as well." He finished, musing to himself absently.

The two young students had trouble breaking free from their amazement. "So...what happens next? Earlier, you called us ruffians and said you were pleased we were down. How come you spared us?" Gin pushed onward, deciding to take advantage of the headmaster's willingness to speak, even though his words didn't seem to make much sense to them.

The wicked smile on the face of the mysterious man turned to an evil grin. "Why, I spared your lives because I might have use for them."

"That meaning...?" Gin pressed, instantly wary and suspicious of the man laying their conditions.

"From now on, you two will work for me and be under my constant surveillance." The headmaster explained curtly.

"And what if we say no?" The werewolf challenged, offering a defiant grin despite the growing dread inside of him.

The smile on the headmaster's face curved almost pityingly. "I will have you know the second you do so."

Gin couldn't hold back the nervous snort escaping him and he had to struggle to keep his composure. Tsukune sat in silence with all color steadily draining from his face, having willfully surrendered the task of negotiating to his more experienced senior. "What will you have us do, then?" The sophomore finally asked.

The headmaster let the waiting silence linger in the air for a while, keeping his smile in place as he answered:

"You may start with fixing some of the problem you've caused. As you know the Youkai Academy, where violence is an everyday issue, has to be kept in order. To do this we need a law-enforcing faction, of which you two have just disposed us of."

Seeing the lack of understanding on the boys' faces, the headmaster paused. Before long he concluded, making his intentions clear once and for all:

"You, Aono Tsukune and Ginei Morioka, are to form us a new Student Police."


	5. The New Student Police

Chapter Five: The New Student Police

"YAHOOO!"

The shout rang throughout the large office, accompanied by a loud thud as the blue haired succubus threw herself into the comfortable leather chair behind the mahogany desk.

The gang had gathered at the former Student Police's, _now theirs_, main bureau of the headquarters. Moka, Yukari, and Kurumu regarded their impressive surroundings with wonder-filled eyes, having just heard the incredible story behind the violent events of the past few days.

After the headmaster had given Tsukune and Gin the task of forming a new law-enforcing group for the school, he had tended to their most visible and severe wounds. "What would happen to your authority if they saw you all weak and vulnerable?" He had reasoned. Thus he'd fixed a magical potion for the werewolf, causing his once destroyed hair to grow back in all its former brilliance. He had also treated the burns in his face and hands with a quickly healing balm. To Tsukune he gave back the Whip of Belmont, which had been confiscated earlier, saying he would be needing it soon.

"I can't believe this is what you guys were actually doing!" Kurumu went on. "But...why didn't you tell us anything?"

"Oh, sorry about that. It's just that we thought it'd be best to involve as few people as possible because of the danger, so..." Tsukune explained.

"Ha! I figured it'd be something like that. Just what I would expect from such a caring guy like Tsukune!" The succubus beamed, jumping at the boy of her affections and drowning him yet again in the softness of her chest.

"Mmmph! I-it was Gin's idea, actually..." Tsukune somehow managed to mumble through the choking confines his face was trapped in.

"R-really?" Kurumu blinked in surprise, eyeing the sophomore in question incredulously while a small blush rose to her cheeks.

"Oh, say nothing of it. To watch over his underclassmen is what a senior's job is, especially if they're as pretty ladies as you." Gin commented smoothly, edging closer to the still Tsukune-hugging succubus without her notice.

"G-Gin..." The blue-haired girl mumbled uncomfortably, averting her eyes and finally releasing the boy in her arms without conscious thought. Tsukune fell to the floor and gasped for breath, Yukari and Moka rushing to his side an instant later.

"So, about my reward..."

Kurumu hadn't even opened her mouth to answer to Gin's sudden change in topic when the werewolf's large hand landed on her left breast, wrapping it into a firm, unhesitant grip.

Had this been a normal occasion, Kurumu would've rewarded the groping youth's sense of reward with a fierce kick to the groin. But she truly had been impressed by Gin's unusual thoughtfulness, and even though her admiration had dissolved somewhat at his shameless ways, she couldn't take it all back now.

So she settled with a hefty slap to the cheek.

And as the familiar scene of one succubus grumbling something about perverts and one werewolf massaging the side of his face, telling himself it was well worth it, all lingering awkwardness disappeared from the air.

"So if the...ummm..._rewards _are over now..."'

"Sure thing!" Tsukune cut in, picking up on the pink-haired girl's cue. "I'm not sure if Gin told you yet, but...hnn..." He trailed off, unsure of how he should deliver the news. "We're kinda supposed to put up a new Student Police."

"..."

_"YOU WHAT!?" _The girls finally exclaimed as one.

Tsukune sighed. _Just as I thought._ He comforted himself with the assurance he couldn't have said it any other way without drawing the given reaction.

"That's right." Gin piped in to aid the younger boy. "The headmaster's orders, probably just a part of his idea of a punishment. Damn old hag."

If Gin had tried to cool down the growing excitement in the room with his nonchalance, he hadn't succeeded.

"This is just so amazing!" Kurumu chirped and shook his head from side to side for emphasis, Moka and Yukari looking on with gleaming eyes. "So, what, have you guys already decided on who you're going to take in?"

"Ah, about that-"

"Wait! C-could it be...?" The succubus was evidently struggling to contain herself. "You're going to name _us!?_"

"AHEM!" Gin assumed his commanding air with a loud cough, determining it was time to bring the blue-haired girl's wild envisioning to and end. Then he continued, in a much smaller voice: "We haven't really decided yet."

Everyone in the room, excluding Gin, let out a disappointed sigh.

"Gee, that's just so lame."

"Desu! Stupid Gin, dragging us here and then not telling anything!"

"I really would've wanted to know too..."

Hearing the girls' words of admonishment, nervous droplets of sweat began to gather at the werewolf's brow.

"H-hey! We took you here so you'd believe us! Gin retorted. "Besides, we _might _consider taking some of you in, so we just wanted to let you know there is that possibility."

"Aah, well in _that _case", Kurumu intoned knowingly, "I guess we'd better leave you boys to make some wise decisions." She said while grabbing hold of the two other girls, winked at Tsukune and Gin, fled the room, and kicked the door closed in her wake.

For a moment Tsukune and Gin merely stood in place, staring at the closed door in silence.

"...well let's get to work, then."

Tsukune complied Gin's soft command, pulling a stack of papers the headmaster had given them out of his school bag and setting it on the table. The two sat down themselves, beginning to browse through the files on possible candidates for the new Student Police.

* * *

When the bell rang in signal for the lunch hour, Tsukune and Gin joined the girls in the school cafeteria. The two had been going through the list of applicants for the new Student Police all morning, and now that they had made their decisions, they had decided to go and inform the chosen ones right away.

"About time you showed up!" Kurumu greeted as the two boys walked over. "So, you finally care to tell us what's it going to be?" At the succubus's straight-to-the-point-question, the faces of the two other girls lit up in excitement as well while Tsukune and Gin bid farewell to any casual small talk they could've had before breaking the news.

Neither of the boys answered right away, instead they nodded to each of their friends in greeting while taking a seat at the table.

"Yukari", Tsukune finally broke the pregnant silence by addressing the young witch, "Would you be ready to join us in the Student Police?"

They had opted for Tsukune to be the one to speak in this instance in the hopes it would soften the impact, more familiar with and drawn to as the child prodigy was to the younger boy. But even though it might have worked somehow, there was no stopping the girls' jaws from dropping to the floor in astonishment.

"Say _what!?_" The blue-haired succubus was the first one to recover from the shock. "You're letting in miss _little girl_ here in your new club instead of us grown-ups? What's the point in that? And what about-"

"Kurumu", Tsukune interrupted sternly. "As you know, Yukari is the most intelligent one of us. And if we are to form a proper organization to keep order in this school, we need brains as much as fighting prowess." Tsukune explained and tried to keep up a friendly air while Gin sat silently beside him, nodding gravely in agreement every now and then.

"Alright, but…what about that fighting prowess? I thought you might have use for an S-class monster…" Moka spoke up this time, taking the news clearly better than her blue-haired companion yet failing to hide her slight disappointment and disbelief as well.

"In the core group, I'm sure me and Gin will be more than enough. Gin is a werewolf after all, and thanks to the Whip of Belmont, I myself am close to a vampire in strength." Tsukune soothed. He also noticed the two girls' confusion at his mention of the magical whip but decided to ignore it for now. _Yukari'll explain it to them later. _ "And besides, there will be a whole bunch of powerful monsters in the regular ranks aside from us leading members."

Neither of the older girls looked too happy even after their friend's reasoning, but they knew he made sense and thus decided to accept their fate. Meanwhile, the young witch who the matter concerned the most kept her silence as she'd done during the whole affair, not saying a word.

"Well, what's your answer, Yukari?" Tsukune inquired softly, bringing the girl out of her reverie.

"I, umm, I…w-will it be safe?" She nervously fumbled with the words, not having expected anything like this in the least.

Tsukune smiled in understanding. "Since it is a law-enforcing group and we might have to deal with violent confrontations every now and then, I cannot guarantee your safety completely at all times. But your position is far away from the actual fighting, and even if something should go wrong, me and Gin and everyone else in the Student Police will always be there to keep you out of harms way." The boy gently assured.

Yukari considered this for a moment in silence, her head low and face burning in crimson due both the affection in Tsukune's voice as well as the embarrassing situation. At last she seemed to reach a conclusion, and as her head popped up to reveal a bright smile on her face, everyone felt relieved by the positive answer they knew they'd receive.

"Well if Tsukune himself says so, then of course I'll join!" She cried happily, throwing her arms around the boy's neck over the table.

The previously tight and heavy atmosphere dissolved into a round of relieved smiles and laughter. Yukari remained in Tsukune's lap as the mirth slowly quieted down, and Gin chose that moment to clear his throat and change the subject.

"Anyway, there's actually something else you could do for us."

Moka and Kurumu instantly perked their ears, eager to hear how they could be of use now that they weren't needed in the Student Police.

"You wouldn't happen to be still interested in the newspaper club?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" Moka asked warily, refusing to believe the implications that Gin's words had.

"Well, now that Kuyo and his lackeys are out of the way, I don't see anyone stopping you." Gin shrugged, trying to make it sound like it wasn't a big deal. "In fact", he continued while adapting a humorously formal air, "I hereby announce the new newspaper club, led by Akashiya Moka and Kurono Kurumu, to be free to resume their club activities in full!"

And despite the obviously forced theatrics in the werewolf's speech, the group of friend gathered at the table couldn't help clapping their hands at the positive declaration. It felt almost surreal; first they had two of their own being promoted to oversee the school's new Student Police, and now they were going to get their beloved and once destroyed club back.

"So, when will you two be coming back?" Moka asked cheerfully, already planning the reorganizing of their club in her mind.

"We won't", Gin deadpanned immediately before Tsukune could say anything to get their hopes up.

"I mean, we don't know for sure." Tsukune hurried to interject as he noticed Moka's disappointment. "The headmaster just told us to form a new Student Police, he didn't say anything beyond that. It could be-"

"-that the headmaster thought it was obvious enough: we'll be his henchmen from now on." Gin finished irritably. "Really, it's a miracle he didn't kill us off as well in the first place, and the only thing we have to thank for that is his twisted nature. The new Student Police is just the beginning, there's no way he'll let us off the hook with this alone." _Now that shut them up,_ Gin thought as he surveyed the results of his admonishing; a set of downcast faces. He had spoken in a stern and commanding voice, but behind his apparent confidence could be heard an undertone of sincere sadness and regret. He wasn't happy about the situation either.

"Don't be so down, folks." Gin continued as the descended silence threatened to stretch on uncomfortably. "It's not like you won't be able to do it without us."

"But it'll be so much more boring…" Moka mumbled dejectedly in response.

"Oh, come on", Gin lightened his voice in an attempt to appear cheerful, "Recruit some new members, get the decorations in the clubroom renewed, and continue to hunt for new and exciting stories", he listed. "Once you get started, I'm sure you'll be too occupied to even notice we're gone. And besides", he said while slapping Tsukune playfully on the shoulder, "we'll be sure to visit you as often as we can. No way you're going to get rid of us that easily!" The werewolf concluded with a toothy grin.

"…you promise?"

"Of course, of course!" Gin assured the two girls wholeheartedly. "After all, there's nothing to keep me separated from a pair of such magnificent boo_oomph-_" Gin was cut off, having his mouth suddenly filled with the blue-haired succubus's fist.

"And _I _hereby announce the new newspaper club to be off-limits for you, pervert!" Kurumu hissed, the familiar feeling of irritation towards the werewolf mounting her thoughts.

The pair could've gone on the same way for hours, but the clattering of chairs and utensils as the students rose from their seats and returned their dishes told that the lunch hour was over.

"Well then, it looks like Tsukune and I must be on our way; we've got one more person to inform of the new honor that has befallen them." Gin spoke with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, motioning for Tsukune to get up. "You don't have to come with us right away, Yukari, but please be ready to join us at a moment's notice from now on." He added to the youngest of the girls, who in turn nodded her acknowledgement.

Thus Tsukune and Gin waved their goodbyes, leaving in search for the other student they'd chosen as one of the leading members of the new Student Police.

* * *

Yoshii Kiria sat on a bench resting against the stairs leading to the second storey of the school. One leg was crossed over the other, the long light tresses of his hair framed his face, and the small book in his hand held his full attention. Not even the clamoring of other students rushing to and fro all around him in hurry to class could disturb the boy's content reverie.

That was until two figures from the stream of pupils halted before him, obscuring the light and thus interrupting his reading.

Kiria raised his gaze slowly, keeping his calm demeanor intact despite the slight irritation caused by the disruption.

"Yoshii Kiria, I presume?" Spoke the taller of the two, whom Kiria recognized to be the second-year student Ginei Morioka.

"That would indeed be me", he replied softly, skillfully hiding the small smile that for the shortest of moments threatened to spread over his lips. _Yes._

"You in no hurry for your next lesson?" The older boy continued, he in turn making no attempt to hide his less-than-friendly attitude. _We'd better be careful with this guy._

"No, I am not." Kiria opted with the simple answer, knowing where the conversation was going and not wanting to alter its direction in any way.

"That certainly isn't very conscientious of you."

Kiria put the book in his hand away with a soft sigh, preparing himself to play the game that the other boy seemed eager to pursue.

"Admittedly it isn't", he acquiesced before presenting a small challenge himself: "What of it?"

"Oh, nothing much. We were just thinking about letting you in to something very confidential and important, but since it seems you couldn't care less anyway, I guess we just have to ask someone else."

"Very well", Kiria replied and returned to his book without skipping a beat, his interest in the two other students standing before him lost entirely.

Gin studied the leisurely reading youth with a cold and measuring glare. _Yosii Kiria_, he tasted the name in his mind for the hundredth time. _First year student. Excellent grades despite the extremely low attendance in class. A known half breed; possible association with the ANTI-THESIS is being investigated. _The werewolf silently recalled the facts listed in his file. _And incredibly annoying_, he added to himself as he regarded the boy's cool and collected demeanor.

Taking him into the new Student Police was a risk Gin was well aware of; if he truly had connections to the feared organization discriminating pure-blood monsters, then he alone could pose a threat to their entire community. But there was no denying the benefits of having one of his intellect and fighting prowess in their new and still stumbling law-enforcer group. Keeping him close could also prove useful in regards to monitoring his actions and seeing if they could find more clues leading to the ANTI-THESIS through him.

His mind made up, Gin snorted in annoyance and spoke harshly:

"Be sure to show up at the headquarters tomorrow morning at 7:00."

And as the two forming members of the new Student Police walked away, Kiria finally allowed himself the victorious grin that had played at the corners of his mouth during the whole time.

_Perfect.

* * *

_

"Did you really have to be that rude!?"

"Don't be daft, Tsukune. That cocky brat was just begging for a fight, and I gave him the bare minimum. Besides, you saw what was written in his papers. His suspicious, I tell you. Suspicious!"

"Yeah, but still. We agreed to take him in, as a peer, as a partner, as an equal! The least you could've done was to show some courtesy."

"Oh, shut up. What would've you done, jump in his arms and embrace him as your new best friend on the goddamn first sight?!"

"Well, that seems to work well with the ladies..."

"Why, you-"

Awaiting their audience with the headmaster in his large chamber, Tsukune and Gin were heatedly going over their confrontation with Kiria just moments ago. Whereas Tsukune had definitely been the better option to speak with Yukari because of his closeness with the girl, it was agreed that as the older and more experienced student Gin should handle the unfamiliar and mysterious Kiria. And even though they had failed to give the kind of first impression on the peculiar boy they'd hoped, both of them were happy that the choosing of the core group for the new Student Police was now over. The headmaster had agreed to do the drafting of the lower rank members for them.

"Ah, Tsukune and Gin." Spoke the white-clad figure from his desk. "What a pleasant surprise to see you both again so soon."

The two boys bowed deeply in respect, having gone over what they should say and do in this situation more than once.

"Mr. Chairman", Gin addressed, "We are here to inform you that we have completed the task you gave us."

"Ah, indeed. I must say I'm proud of you, for you have made your decisions wisely and not misused the power I entrusted to you. With this, I feel that the order will return to the academy in full."

Both Tsukune and Gin gulped. They were fairly certain their hopes were in vain, but they had decided to try nevertheless.

"So, since everything should now return to normal, can our mistakes be considered repaid now?"

The headmaster smiled warmly. "Yes, indeed they can."

The two boys blinked dumbly in amazement. They could not believe it; just naming a couple of successors for the former Student Police and they would be set free? In their delighted stupor, it was Tsukune who found his voice first:

"Ah, thank you so much, your highness! So, with this, I trust and Gin and I can return to our normal studies?"

"That, I did not say. You are to remain as the head of the new Student Police and oversee their actions, I will not change that."

The faces of both Tsukune and Gin dropped as they bid farewell to any ideas of having their regular and carefree student lives back.

"So, having that cleared up, I myself have one more nomination to make for your new Student Police."

The two boys lifted their gazes, both expectant and dreadful of what more the headmaster had in store for them.

"You may come out now", the headmaster called out to the long and deep shadows of his office.

At his command, a lithe figure emerged from behind one of the tall and thick pillars standing in the room. As her body came into view, Gin gaped in shock while Tsukune regarded the new arrival with his usual polite interest.

"Tsukune, Gin, I want you to meet my special ward who I've been taking care of for some time now. She'll be the fifth member of the new Student Police's leading group. I expect fluent co-operation from all of you.

Tsukune and Gin continued to stare at the girl with their respective reactions.

Ruby Toujyou glared them back.


	6. First Assignments

Chapter Six: First Assignments

Ginei Morioka had always had a sense for theatrics. It was for this reason that on the dawn of the first day of the new Student Police, it was he who gave the opening speech for the freshly named, albeit still a bit morning cranky, law-enforcers.

"Alright, you lazy bums!" He roared with all the enthusiasm of a wolf who loved his job. _I'll never get tired of this. _"I can see it on your faces that right now not many of you are aware of just how great of an honor you have been granted." He continued as he critically regarded the half grumpy, half bored countenances in his audience. _And I'll bet not many of you are going to buy that lie._

"But worry not, for I guarantee that in time you'll all be carrying your badges with puffed chests and heads held up high!" _As if..._

"Excuse me", a voice spoke as somebody raised their hand in the crowd.

"Yes, go ahead" Gin admitted and eagerly flung his arm towards the speaker, happy to have someone else participate in this charade.

"What badges?"

The werewolf stood in silence for a moment, his hands firmly planted on the table in front of him both in a show of powerful authority as well as having something to lean on.

"The ones were going to make eventually", he finally replied, the remaining sternness in his voice bringing a humorous quality to the non-impressive words. _Why do they always have to pick up on the small details, damn it?_

The few snickers among the new law-enforcers told that his short lapse in readiness had not gone unnoticed despite the quick recovery. To his endless irritation he could hear some of his closest colleagues, who were leaning against the wall behind him in a neat line, joining in the quiet laughter. A quick glance over his shoulder revealed the traitor to be none other than Kiria, his eyes glued on the pages of his book as usual. _That little bitch_, he seethed to himself. _And witch_, he added as the eleven-year-old also seemed to find the incident somewhat funny. Tsukune smiled dumbly like he always did. Ruby looked pissed like she'd done the whole time while in their company. _Terrific._

"Silence!" Gin barked, effectively ceasing the commotion in the room and bringing everyone's attention back to him. "I'll be sure to bring you some pen and paper later so you can draw whatever you wish for yourselves, but right now we've got more important things to do." _Ha! Eat that._

"Moving on. Since we haven't received any word from the higher ups and there isn't very much going on at the moment, I suppose we've got somewhat free hands to do whatever we want for now. That being the case, I thought we could start with something simple." Gin explained and paused to let his words sink in.

"So this is what we're going to do: I want you all to get back to the academy as if you were having a normal day. Your real job is to keep an eye on the students in general; listen to their conversations, pay attention to what they say and do. To be specific, I want to now if any of them harbor any rebellious thoughts now that the previous law-enforcers are gone. Remember that they do not know about the new Student Police. I will hear your reports in the evening after school. Understood?" Receiving no negative answer from his listeners, Gin bid them dismissed.

"Now then", the sophomore addressed his four companions as the last of the gruesome lot had shuffled out of the room, "I guess you guys are just as eager to get to work, eh?"

"Thrilled."

"Desu!"

"Of course!"

Gin heaved a sigh at the expected set of answers. "Alright, Tsukune, you go check up on Moka and Kurumu and see how they're doing with the newspaper club. I'd love to go myself, but I've got some nasty paperwork to fill out so no can do...Yukari, you stay and help me, I'm pretty sure I'm going to need the extra brains in dealing with all that jargon. And Ruby, was it..." Gin stopped to think what he should do with the girl who'd shown nothing but hostility towards them since the moment they teamed up. "You just stay put, okay? Just...stay put. And Kiria..." The werewolf trailed off again, realizing only now that the boy was long gone from sight.

_Terrific.

* * *

_

"Your first impressions?"

"They seem to be most...carefree lot, I must say."

"...could you elaborate?"

"Despite the tough situation they've been put into, they do not seem to take it all that seriously."

"You mean they are taking their new task lightly?"

"No, not quite that either. Easy-going and fluent are the words I'd describe them with. They are aware of the seriousness of what they've gotten into, yet it seems like they're not letting the pressure get to them."

"Ah, the power of friendship."

"Pardon?"

"Friendship, my good fellow. It's what binds them together and gives them strength. Such a sweet little thing...it'll be all the more entertaining to see them crushed."

"...I see."

"Was there anything else for you to report?"

"Indeed. It seems that some of them, especially the werewolf, are suspicious of me. He appeared quite confrontational already in our first meeting, and ever since then he hasn't spared nothing but murderous glares at me."

"I figured as much."

"You don't think it's a little disconcerting?"

"Disconcerting? Maybe. Surprising? Not so much. Listen, you and me, we're half-breeds. Of course the pure-bloods are wary of us, they fear us. Who knows what kind of outrageous lies those dimwits at the new Student Police have been fed to make them look down on us so. It's just their way of trying to deal with their fear, for they are the weak ones, they are the disgusting ones. You should always keep that in mind."

"Yes, my master."

"Oh-ho. It certainly is quite something to hear you address me like that. What's gotten into you, I wonder?"

"I just thought you really hit the spot with what you said there, _master. _It was touching, almost."

"It is good to hear our values haven't changed for neither one of us. Now go, my friend, and continue to do the good job you've been doing thus far."

And with a modest bow, Yoshii Kiria finished his business with his one true master and departed, leaving to act the other role he played.

* * *

Lunch break found Tsukune roaming the woods near the Youkai Academy.

_That bitchy girl has gone off to somewhere. Go look for her, I'm still busy. _Tsukune sighed as he recalled his superior officer's, that being Gin, first words to him when he'd come back from meeting with Moka and Kurumu. The two girls had immediately taken up on Gin's suggestion of starting the newspaper club anew, and when Tsukune finally found them after relentless searching in the school building, they were busy informing the teachers of their intentions and collecting their approvals.

Tsukune was truly happy for them. For a while he'd feared that his, Gin's, and Yukari's separation from their usual gang of friends would tear their relationships apart even further, but after seeing the vampire and succubus work together with such vigor, he'd been filled with newfound hope and joy.

Which was why his good mood was somewhat sullied when his thoughts turned to the girl he was looking for at the moment.

Ruby Toujyou hadn't, in the short time they'd known each other, shown the slightest of signs of even tolerating him. _Or Gin. Or Yukari. Or anyone else for that matter. _The strange girl with pigtails and tattered clothes acted like she had a personal vendetta against all of them, and for the life of him Tsukune couldn't figure out why. It bothered him the most; seeing the obvious displeasure the girl had with all of them yet not knowing the reasons behind it, thus rendering him virtually unable to do anything about the matter.

The boy was alerted from his musings when something heavy, and _hard_, landed on his head and tumbled to the ground. Letting out a surprised yelp, Tsukune glanced at his feet and found a stone the size of his fist lying by his feet. He tenderly massaged the sore spot on his scalp and directed his gaze to whence the object had dropped from. Ruby sat there on a high branch, glaring down at him.

Tsukune smiled. "Found you", he said, pleased that his search had come to a close.

Ruby regretted she hadn't passed the chance to make fun of the boy.

"You scared me for a while there. Good to see you're okay, though. But what're you doing all the way out here?"

Ruby answered by snapping her head away, ignoring Tsukune completely.

"Won't you come down? That looks pretty dangerous."

Now that she couldn't let slide. "Maybe dangerous for you, klutz!"

"Ah, I guess you're right about that one." Tsukune laughed in good humor. "I brought some lunch with me", he continued, producing two small boxes from his school bag, "wanna have some?"

"Like hell I'd eat any of the goo you shove in front of me!" Ruby retorted, enraged that an enemy would go so far as to try and coax her over by pretending to be friendly.

Unfortunately, her stomach chose that very moment to announce it had indeed been quite a few hours since her last meal. The flaring anger on her cheeks was deepened by an embarrassed blush.

"Well, I'll just leave it here, then." Tsukune replied with a hint of regret and bent down to place the lunchbox at the foot of the tree Ruby had climbed up. He then proceeded to a nearby stump, sat down, and began to eat.

The scene set into an awkward image of Tsukune consuming his lunch at a leisurely pace while Ruby continued to mope on her branch, sending murderous glances at both the eating boy and the untouched box of food below her, tempting her with the delicious odors it sent upwards. All the while she cursed her empty stomach, making the task of denial all the more laborious.

_Ah, to hell with it_. she groaned inwardly. _If he's really stupid enough to tend to his enemies out of his own volition, I might as well make use of him for now. Besides, if the food turns out to be poisoned, I can always concoct an antidote and kill him. _With these thoughts in mind, Ruby deftly climbed down the tree. She scooped the lunchbox in her arms, tore the lid open, and dug in.

_This is...pretty good. _She mentally admitted with genuine amazement. And as the meal proved to be more than okay, the only thing that made her regret her actions was the board and unreserved smile Tsukune gave her at seeing her accept the food. _That's got to be the most idiotic thing I've ever seen_, she explained herself the sudden odd discomfort she felt.

"You like it?" Tsukune ventured to ask. "Heh, I actually made it myself. Normally I would never know how to, but my mother insisted to teach me when I left for this school. Said something about I should learn to make myself healthy food since she couldn't do it for me anymore." He rambled on happily.

Ruby spat. "Eh, it sure tastes like it was made by a mere boy."

"Oh...that's too bad, then."

The girl tried to convince herself she didn't feel the least bit bad at the quiet dejection in Tsukune's voice.

"It sure is peaceful out here in the woods. Is that why you came here?" Tsukune spoke a again after a moment of uncomfortable silence, any traces of the previous melancholy gone from his voice.

"Well, at least you got that one right." Ruby huffed, encouraged to continue in her fury now that her jab at the boy just a moment ago seemed to be ineffective. _Why do I even care? _"For a witch, forests and nature are always a haven from the disgusting world outside."

"Ah, so you're a witch. I was wondering about that, glad to have it figured out now."

Ruby cursed herself for her carelessness.

"There's another witch in our group, too. Her name's Yukari, she's the eleven-year-old. Have you noticed her? Eh, but of course you have, it's rather obvious, isn't it?" Tsukune continued cheerfully, oblivious to the girl's self-berating.

"Well, she can't be much of a smart witch if she willingly chooses to hang out with the likes of you..."

Tsukune allowed a slightly crestfallen look wash over his features before he brushed it aside. "Contradictory to that, I think Yukari is the smartest one of us all." He spoke with just the barest hint of scolding in his voice. "But that's really beside the point. What matters here, Ruby, is that I have no idea why you're acting like this towards us. I can't promise to leave you alone completely, but if you'd tell me, there's a good chance I might understand and respect your views a bit more. So...what's up?"

Ruby stared at the boy beside her in aghast. _Understand? Respect? Just how god damn arrogant is he going to get? Fine, at least I don't have to hear his whining if I'm the one to talk._

"What's up, eh? As if you wouldn't know. You..._bitches _aided the humans in destroying my home!" She began, her voice shaking with rage. "I was living peacefully on a small hill in the human world with my master. There were just the two of us, and everything seemed to be all right." Ruby recalled with a distant and fond look on her face, one that Tsukune hadn't seen her wear at all before. The moment was swiftly gone, however, as she continued, her face contorting in rage:

"But then the humans came. Out of nowhere, they claimed our hill as their own and decided to turn it into a 'public facility", she exclaimed and gave a humorless laugh. "A garbage dump, that's what they wanted to turn our home into! And as if that wasn't bad enough, this.._.headmaster _of your stupid school decided to stop me and my master from opposing the humans! All we wanted, all we needed was to keep the modest hill that was our home." The girl's crimson eyes began to swim in angry tears and her words came gushing out, choked.

"But no. Just as we were in the midst of scaring the intruding humans off, that filthy man in his white robes showed up with his horde. A battle ensued, and despite the power my master had grown to possess over the centuries, we were alone and no match for his ancient magic and greatness in numbers. They won, and our hill was left to the hands of those rapists. Just like that", Ruby made a dismissive move with her hand, "my home, destroyed, and my master, killed. I was left alone, and as though in mockery of that I was denied to join my master in death, taken captive instead to further the ends of the very man who destroyed my life."

_You're a fine witch, Ruby. Your master was already old and withering, but you are only on the brink of full bloom. I shall take you with me to a very special school and make you into a fine specimen of your kind. _The headmaster's words whispered in her mind like venom, and Ruby bit her lips till they bled to prevent herself from screaming aloud. And she was not done yet.

"And all that bastard offered for an excuse...all he had to justify his actions...'This was all for the common good. We have to learn to coexist with humans and refrain from seeking conflict with them', is what he had to nerve to say..."

Finally the girl fell silent, only her quiet sobs breaking through the stillness in the air. In the following silence, Tsukune contemplated what he'd heard with growing anxiety and shame.

"Ruby..." The girl looked up at the shaking call of her name, finding the tear-filled eyes of the boy she'd come to hate along with everybody else boring into hers.

"I-I'm sorry...oh god, for all it's worth I'm so sorry."

For a second time that day, Ruby stared at the boy before him in enraged amazement. "What's it your matter what has happened to me? You weren't there, you weren't part in any of it, so stop acting like you could understand me!"

"I...I _was _part of it, Ruby. I...I am one of those humans who took it all away from you."

The witch's eyes widened in shock. The words the boy said came out like a guilty confession, one for which he was truly ashamed of to no end. The apology in his words sounded _genuine_. It all confused her even more, and despite her increased hatred towards him for being one of _them_, she couldn't help the first question escaping her lips.

"But...I thought this was a school for monsters..."

Tsukune gave a choking laugh. "So it is...and by the looks of it, I am from a disgusting enough monster race..."

_Th-this is it, _Ruby thought with a mixture of malice and wonderment. _I could have him killed with this. Wasn't it one of this school's rules to ban all humans under the threat of death? If I only-_

"You may go ahead and expose me to the headmaster if you will." Tsukune suddenly spoke up, unwittingly intruding on Ruby's thoughts of exactly the same nature. "It is the fair punishment I deserve for the actions of my people, and it is forbidden for me to be here anyway", he continued, the tears from his eyes gone and his voice filled with odd conviction and self-confidence.

Ruby snapped her head away, the thrill of a violent payback diminished at the willingness of the boy. She also doubted her eyes could hide the positive astonishment in them.

"But if only you can find it in your heart to try", Tsukune continued with softened voice as he slowly rose to his feet, "I will always be ready to stand by your side and work with you to salvage what little there's left of the trust between humans and all monsters. Because I believe, Ruby, that it is still possible. The monsters of the Youkai Academy are working towards it, and if there are any others like me among my kind, then there are still even humans who would like to see it happen."

Ruby kept her eyes trained on the ground, refusing to acknowledge the boy's words as he turned to leave.

"I'll leave you alone now, but please come back by nightfall. Feel free to come talk to me any time if you'd like to take up on my offer. I'll catch you later, then." He finished with a casual wave of his hand.

"Don't bother", Ruby bit out from the waning embers of her wrath.

"It's never a bother, Ruby."

And with that, Tsukune left the witch to battle with her confused thoughts and shattered prejudices.

* * *

Ginei Morioka was furious.

"Just what the _hell _is up with that rabble you sent us?"

"Now, now. What seems to be the problem, Gin?"

"The _problem, _Mr. Headmaster, is that the regular troops you arranged for us are good for nothing! Where the heck did you find those guys?"

"Why, I simply selected the most disposable ones, of course."

Gin rolled his eyes and let out an irritated groan.

"Let us be reasonable. You still haven't told me the exact reason for your displeasure with them. I would hear it before listening to your complaints."

The werewolf grit his teeth. _Where should I begin? _That morning, Gin had given them their first order ever as a solid starting point for the new Student Police. Observe and report, nothing more. But not only had they failed to carry out this basic command, some of the more boisterous ones of them had blown their cover and told anyone willing to listen all the confidential information they had. To be specific, the identities of the new Student Police's leaders. Thus Gin had had his hands full all morning, either answering the students' endless stream of questions or confronting those who were more pleased with the previous regime.

"Hmm...they certainly seem to be a bit rough around the edges as of yet." The headmaster mused nonchalantly after he'd heard Gin's story.

"...And?" The newfound leader of the Student Police demanded with impatience, not satisfied with the understatement of the obvious.

"And what?"

"How do you suggest we fix this situation!?" Gin barked with faltering self-control.

"Ah, as to that, I'm sure that an upgrade in discipline and training will do."

"Aargh, whatever! Just don't be too surprised if all of this blows in your face sooner than you could even guess, hag." The sophomore seethed and stormed out of the headmaster's hall, afraid he'd do something drastic and unwelcome if he stayed.

As he threw the door open, he came face to face with Tsukune who'd been just about to enter himself. "I'll be waiting to hear at least your report, but heaven forbid if you have nothing but bad news!" He growled and pushed past the boy.

Tsukune sighed and listened to the echoing boom as the werewolf slammed the door shut behind him.

"You called for me?"

"Yes indeed, Tsukune. Your friend Gin seems to be off to a lively start with his governing of the Student Police, and it just so turns out that I have a special job for you alone as well."

"...what is it?" Tsukune asked in a tired voice, weary from the day's emotional weight. The confrontation with Ruby had left him with a heavy mind.

"This girl", the headmaster began as he set down a file on his desk in front of Tsukune, "has been quite a handful for us lately. Disturbing the teachers, attacking her fellow students, suffering from severe depression...a real problem child. Currently she's barricaded herself in her dorm room, refusing to come out. I want you, Tsukune, to drag her out of her shell, both literally and metaphorically. You seem to be quite apt at that sort of work, I have noticed." The headmaster hummed contentedly to himself, as if pleased with yet again discovering something of use in his subordinates.

Tsukune carefully picked up the file and studied the icy blue eyes of one Shirayuki Mizore, staring him back from the surface of the paper.


	7. First Encounter

Chapter Seven: First Encounter

Tsukune stood in front of the room 106.

_This is it_, he mentally prepared himself as he'd grown accustomed to do whenever he was presented with a challenge of this caliber. The previous night he'd carefully gone over the facts known about the snow girl Shirayuki Mizore and arrived at the conclusion that a soft and gentle approach would be the most advisable. Thus he'd opted not to take the Whip of Belmont with him, seeing as the vampiric appearance and power it gave him could come off as rather intimidating. _I don't want to scare her away on our first meeting, now do I?_

The boy tried to dissuade his current nervousness by turning his thoughts to something uplifting. He'd been treated to a pleasant surprise the night before when, against all odds, Ruby had come back to the headquarters just like he'd pleaded her to. And judging from the fact that he was still alive and not captured and executed for treason against all monsters, it appeared that the hostile witch had not made good of the knowledge regarding his humanity. _Don't think for a second that I'd be trying to help you here. I just want to make a fool out of the old man by letting a worm like you infest here in his precious little monster school._

Tsukune chuckled lightly as he recalled the words Ruby had said to him the first moment they'd had alone together after their meeting in the woods. In all honesty, he hadn't expected much out of their conversation. He knew the girl's hatred and sorrow couldn't be brushed aside that easily, especially not after all that had happened to her. The most he'd dared to wish for was that Ruby wouldn't reveal his secret to the headmaster right away, and that was exactly what he'd gotten. It left him with a warm feeling and a faint hope that it could be a first step on their road to mutual acceptance and friendship.

Reassuring himself he could deal with this person like he did with Ruby, Tsukune took one last deep breath, braced himself, and knocked softly on the door.

Silence answered.

Tsukune waited patiently and knocked again; three precise taps of his knuckles against the steel surface. After a while he could feel himself growing cold, and a quick glance at his feet revealed that it was not due to just the pressuring atmosphere. Chilly rime began to seep from underneath the door, and through the cracks in its sides cold air blew and made the boy shiver on his feet.

_She _is _a snow girl, after all, _Tsukune reminded himself and took the sudden coldness as a positive sign that she was home.

Encouraged by this discovery, the boy bent down and pushed in the letters clogging the mail slot to take a peek through it. "Hello, is anyone there?" He called out into the apartment. "My name is Aono Tsukune, and I would like to talk to you for a second." _No need to mention I'm from the Student Police_, he mused. _She might think she's in trouble and refuse to see me at a- _

The boy's line of thought was cut short when two extremely sharp icicles flew through the slot and bore into his eyes, blinding him instantly.

"AAARGH!" Tsukune cried in horrified shock as he stumbled backwards, his eyes ruined and blood gushing out of the wounds

Everything seemed to happen in an instant after that. Suddenly the door was kicked wide open and Tsukune, from the permanent darkness he was now cursed into, could not see the small figure of a girl surrounded by misty coldness walking slowly out of the apartment.

"Who dares to disturb me?" The female voice spoke menacingly, her tone cold like the harshest winter Tsukune had seen in his life. "I will not suffer anyone intruding on my privacy", she continued, planting her foot on the helpless boy's chest and pushing him completely down on his back.

What happened next would forever stay in Tsukune's memory as one of the most macabre experiences of his life. The murderous snow girl gripped onto the icicles still embedded into Tsukune's eyes and _pulled. _The icy nails came free, and along with them the skewered eyes of the youth came out of their sockets with a sickening plop.

At that point the goddess of mercy smiled upon the tortured boy and he slipped out of consciousness, silencing the screams of agony and horror in his throat.

But the girl of snow and ice was not satisfied quite yet. She lifted the lifeless youth by the front of his shirt and gave a single, fierce kick to his midsection. He was sent flying through the air, finally coming down a good fifty yards away from the snow girl's front door. His landing was accompanied by the sound of a morbid thud and the crunching several bones breaking.

Content that her peace would be bothered no more, Mizore returned to the cold comfort of her room.

Tsukune was left lying face down on the ground, his limp body giving no signs of life.

* * *

The next few days Tsukune spent in the school infirmary. His life was saved by a nameless low ranking member of the Student Police, having found him by accident during his regular patrolling rounds. Though extremely confused and stupefied at the anomaly in his routine, the guard had had the sense to take the beaten and unconscious boy to the school infirmary. There Tsukune drifted in and out of consciousness at irregular intervals, never managing to stay awake more than few moments at a time and always falling back to his agony-filled oblivion. Visitors came and went, from the tearful and openly frantic girls to the silently yet no less shocked leader of the new Student Police. Ultimately his life was saved yet again by the school's peculiar headmaster, having attended to the boy in time and managing to heal his simple yet devastating wounds. But the fact remained that the life of the unfortunate human boy had once again taken a blow from which the road to recovery would be long and hard.

Meanwhile, Shirayuki Mizore disappeared from her apartment and was not seen nor found during the entire time.

* * *

Tsukune woke up with a start. He blinked his eyes rapidly, not knowing if he was truly awake or just on another stage of a long dream. At first nothing seemed to register properly in his mind, not where he was, not what he was doing nor what had happened. The grey ceiling overhead was his sole link to reality.

Then the memories came crushing down. Their impact was powerful enough to make him immediately jolt upwards in his bed. He remembered his visit to the snow girl's residence, the coldness, the empty-looking room, the sudden agony, the way his eyes had been-

The boy's mind halted in shock. He brought his hands to the level of his eyes and regarded their familiar shape. Next he noticed the sheets of his bed, recognizing the clinical white of the school infirmary even in the darkness of the night. He swept his gaze over the room once and saw that it was indeed the infirmary with its usual dull furniture and white curtains here and there separating the beds from each other.

Tsukune was boggled by the fact that he could _see._

"So it was...a nightmare?" He murmured aloud in confusion.

"Not quite", a familiar voice answered from the darkness.

"M-Mr. Headmaster!" The boy exclaimed as the white-robed figure walked into his view from a shadowy corner.

"So you're awake", he observed casually. "How do you feel?"

"What...what happened?"

"Good enough to ask questions, I see", the headmaster chuckled. "By the look on your face, I'd say you remember quite well yourself what happened. You went to see Shirayuki Mizore and she attacked you, and rather badly at that, I must say."

"But m-my eyes..." The boy stammered and trailed off, still not fully comprehending the situation.

"Ah, there you had an unusual stroke of luck. We scanned the scene afterwards in search of Mizore, and your eyes were found in the hallway, neatly pierced by two of her icicles." The headmaster paused for a moment to watch the boy go paler than he already was, a wicked grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "As the eyeballs were otherwise intact, it was not an effort for me to re-install them with my magic. Be grateful."

"Th-thank you."

The headmaster's smile widened. "After all, I could've killed you instantly at finding out you were actually a human."

Tsukune's mouth fell open in shock. "D-did Ruby...?"

"Ruby?" The man in white queried with a quirked eyebrow. "I do not know what that dear child has to do with any of this, but no, I didn't find out about this through her." He explained in a rare show of obliviousness. "Your humanity was painfully evident in how deeply your injuries affected you. No monster would be rendered to such a state as yours by a few blows, not to mention you were asleep for several days. Now that I think about it, I should've guessed it from the fact that you needed the Whip of Belmont to use your full powers. I must've thought the whip was just a small enhancement for you. One learns something new every day, eh? You continue to surprise me, Tsukune." The headmaster concluded with a voice laced with malice and mirth.

"So...what happens to me now?" The boy finally managed to ask through his terror.

"Do not worry, my boy. You've proven your value to me, and I'm not one to discard something I have use for. But should you lapse in your performance or display signs of rebellious behavior...well, suffice it to say I'm gifted at re-evaluating my subordinates."

Tsukune gulped and nodded his head, understanding the implications and not willing to prod the matter more than necessary.

"Furthermore, I suggest you hold on to this at all times from now on", the headmaster continued and tossed Tsukune the Whip of Belmont he produced from his garbs. "You were foolish to go confront a powerful and wayward snow girl without it in the first place. Now that you've experienced the results first hand I'm sure you agree that it'd be wise to keep yourself prepared on all occasions."

Replaying the horrendous events in his head yet again, Tsukune found himself truly latching onto the mysterious man's advice for the first time.

"Now then, since my business with you is done and I see you're all right, I shall not keep you all to myself anymore. Rest for now, Tsukune, but I expect you back in active duty as soon as you feel up to it." The headmaster said and disappeared as mysteriously as he'd come.

As if on cue, the door to the infirmary opened a small crack. When the eyes peeking through it saw he was awake, all subtlety was discarded as Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari rushed to greet him, followed closely behind by the more composed yet clearly relieved and worried Gin. Through the many arms that opened to embrace him, Tsukune could see even Ruby standing by the entrance. The older witch huffed and left the moment she discerned he was alive and well, but her brief visit was enough to add to the recovering youth's joy.

And as the cheerful voices welcoming him back to the waking world rung in his ears, Tsukune's mind was already setting upon another visit to Shirayuki Mizore.


	8. Coming Clean

Chapter Eight: Coming Clean

The next morning Tsukune was fast preparing for his next encounter with the snow girl. He was out of bed early, and the curtains of the infirmary room were drawn aside to let in the scarce light of the early overcast day. He'd felt surprisingly little pain from his injuries after he'd awoken, the supreme healing capabilities of the headmaster coupled with the Whip of Belmont now tightly wound around his torso proving to be more than adequate to fix the relatively humane blows he'd suffered.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" Moka asked worriedly while Tsukune stood by the neatly made bed, buttoning his shirt with his back to her.

"Never felt better." The boy replied curtly as he reached the last button near his neck and turned around.

Moka took in the sight before her with a small gasp. During the time Tsukune had spent in oblivion Yukari had finally explained the workings of the whip, seeing as it had come up numerous times in the discussions concerning the boy. Now that she saw the effects of the magical item with her own eyes, the vampire was left with mixed feelings. The usual warm chocolate of the eyes of the boy she'd come to admire so much was gone, replaced by the hard crimson she all too well knew her vampire self to possess. Likewise the brown tresses of his hair were now accompanied by silvery strands, giving his unruly hair an even more exotic outlook.

On one hand, it was impressive.

On the other, it was downright frightening.

"Moka." The girl was startled from her daze by the sudden call of her name, and she quickly refocused her eyes on Tsukune's as the boy spoke again.

"Was there a specific reason you came here?"

"Oh? Ah, yes, yes...Miss Nekonome stopped me in the hallway as I was coming here. She wanted me to give you a message since she was busy herself", Moka explained, taken aback and slightly hurt by Tsukune's unusually cold behaviour. _Why would I even need a reason to see you?_

"I see...and what might the message be?" Tsukune inquired in the detached voice he'd used all morning.

"Umm...I don't know if this'll make any sense to you but...'The cliffs by the ocean'."

"...what?"

" 'The cliffs by the ocean' ", Moka yelped at Tsukune's deadpan confusion. "I swear that's all she told me to say to you, nothing more!"

"...very well, then." The boy replied evenly, picking up his backpack from the floor in signal the conversation was over and he was about to leave. "I'll see you later."

"Ah, Tsukune!" The pink-haired vampire exclaimed as Tsukune brushed past her without so much as waiting for her to return the farewell. "Do you...want me or some others to come with you. This Mizore-girl seems kinda dangerous, and after what happened last time.."

"Don't worry, Moka. Unlike then, I'm fully prepared now. The headmaster gave this task to me, so I will complete it on my own. Thank you for the offer, though."

"Be careful.." Moka mumbled to the infirmary door sliding shut.

* * *

Mizore sat by the edge of the cliff, her feet dangling in the air above at least thirty meters of freefall. She watched with distant amazement as the foamy waves crashed against the hard and jagged rocks far, far below. Her eyes were glassed over in deep thought and her hand was resting gently on the pages of an open scrapbook lying next to her on the grass, almost caressing it.

The past few weeks hadn't been easy for the lonely snow girl. Betrayed and assaulted by the man she'd confided in and confessed her love to, accused of crimes she hadn't committed and finally, not even allowed to suffer and nurture her wounds alone, being instead bothered by random high profile students claiming to want to help her. _There's no one who'd really want to help me. There's no one I can trust. I'm all alone._

But it wasn't the faults of others that Mizore damned the most, nor were her deepest wounds those she'd received herself.

_What have I done? _The question plagued her again, and like an incurable disease it continued to gnaw at her and eat her alive.

Aono Tsukune, the boy who'd been the sole object of her undivided affections for weeks, the boy whose words of wisdom she'd collected to the scrapbook beside her, the boy she'd come to regard as a soulmate she'd been waiting for all her life.

The boy she'd ruthlessly tortured and nearly killed.

The sweet taste of the lollipop in her mouth was joined by bitter salt as a lone tear slid between her lips. Soon the tears began to leak out of her eyes in torrents, gliding down her cheeks and falling into her lap unhindered. The roar of the stormy ocean opening before her filled her ears, and its call grew more tempting by the minute. _It would be so easy, _she mused hollowly as she gazed down at the rocky shore below and thought about the cold and deadly embrace it promised. _Just a little push forward... _The snow girl felt another wave of sadness wash over her as she realized the need to at least try and apologize to her loved one was the only thing holding her back.

Immersed in the darkness of her thoughts as she was, Mizore failed to notice the soft thuds of approaching footsteps on the grass behind her.

The loud cracking sound accompanied by a whip wrapping tightly around her throat, however, made sure she was alerted back to reality. Her head was jerked backwards, and as she fell on her back on the ground, her eyes finally caught sight of the intruder.

And as if by some heavenly bestowal, the one to walk in on her contemplation was the one she'd desired to see the most.

"Tsukune!" She cried in happiness and started towards the boy with open arms, the sad tears in her eyes now turned to those of joy and relief. It didn't matter that the youth in question didn't appear to be like he usually was, with the soft brown of his eyes now as red as blood, glaring at her with venom. Nor was she perturbed by the angry frown of his mouth, usually so ready to smiles and laughter.

And as the snow girl wrapped her arms around Tsukune in a fierce embrace, pressed her soaked face against his chest, and showered him with apologies, he did not heed any of it. _I won't be fooled again._

With that thought in mind, Tsukune drew his leg backwards and kneed the girl in her midsection with enough force to send her flying back right to the edge of the cliff.

"Wh-what is this?" Mizore sobbed, disbelief battling with her previous joy for dominance on her face.

"Don't play dumb with me", the vampire-Tsukune growled. "You took me by surprise last time, but that won't happen again. My name is Aono Tsukune, and I'm here as a representative of the Student Police to enforce the law of our school upon you!" He declared, forcing his voice as cold and commanding as he ever could.

Tsukune had been preparing for this the moment he realized he was alive and able, and that the dangerous snow girl was still on the loose. And although he couldn't stop his heart from breaking at the sight of a girl in tears being hurt by him, his mind was made up. He was one of the leading members of the Student Police now, after all, and there were times such as this when force overrode diplomacy.

"Are you talking about all those attacks I've been accused of? I didn't do any of it, Tsukune, I swear!" Mizore pleaded as she knelt on the ground.

Tsukune did not see the girl writhing in agony and sorrow before him. He did not acknowledge her tears nor the desperate anxiousness in her voice. All he saw was the dangerous monster capable of murdering her own peers, as he'd been so painfully forced to learn, and all he focused on was the need to capture her.

"Didn't do it? You mean like the way you didn't attack me when I came to see you? Like the way you didn't dig _my fucking eyes out _and almost kill me?"

"Th-that was a misunderstanding!" The girl's voice hitched pitifully when reminded yet again of her horrible mistake earlier. "I was so hurt and depressed I couldn't think clearly. When you came I was at my worst, and I was so enraged I didn't even bother to recognize it was you! It's the truth!" As soon as she'd uttered the words Mizore felt like it was the lousiest excuse she'd ever spewed, and apparently Tsukune thought so as well.

"I'm sure it was hard to recognize me with my face covered in blood. Save your stories for later, as of now I'm taking you into custody for extreme disruptive and threatening behaviour." He announced and swung his whip again, this time catching the girl by the wrists and tugging her closer. When she was lying helplessly by his feet, Tsukune bound her with handcuffs tight enough to hinder the flow of youki in her veins, disabling her from tapping into her monster power.

None of these precautions were necessary, however, as Mizore was at this point too devastated to even cry for her mishaps, let alone think of opposing Tsukune. Her body dull from shock and forgotten tears still seeping from her hollow eyes, the snow girl was mercilessly taken to the holding cells of the Student Police by the one one she loved the most.

* * *

"Your name is Shirayuki Mizore, correct?"

"..."

"You are fifteen years of age and a freshman at Youkai Academy?"

"..."

"You harassed a teacher, attacked your fellow schoolmates, skipped school for weeks without reason, and finally, rendered Aono Tsukune of the Student Police to a hospital condition?"

"..."

Gin heaved a tired sigh, giving up on the interrogation. "You do realize that you're being accused of numerous severe crimes ranging from extreme abuse to opposing official authority, right?" Gin spoke irritably, not bothering to wait for an answer he knew he wouldn't receive before continuing: "Those are pretty serious crimes right there, hun'. You sure you don't want to say a word in your own defense?"

For a while the scene was overtaken by silence as it had been every time it came the snow girl's turn to speak, and Gin was already opening his mouth to say something more when Mizore suddenly spoke in a voice so soft it was barely audible:

"I want Tsukune."

"Excuse me?" Gin blurted, not sure what the girl meant at first.

"I want to speak with Tsukune and nobody else." Mizore repeated, her voice more stern this time.

The leader of the Student Police regarded her with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance. "Quite a cocky one, aren't you? Thinking you're actually in some position to make demands."

"..."

"Ah, whatever. I'll be happy to let that twerp suffer your stubbornness in my stead." Gin huffed and rose from his seat, exiting the small prison.

A moment later Tsukune stepped through the door the werewolf had used for his departure and proceeded to the metallic stool set before Mizore's cell.

"Speak", he commanded curtly.

The snow girl instantly snapped her head upwards to regard the boy she'd hurt. "I'm so sorry, Tsukune, I-"

"_Anything _but that."

Mizore recoiled at the harsh coldness with which the boy she considered as the most gentle person she'd met cut her off. Nevertheless she gained her composure and conceded, deciding to continue her apologies later.

"What I told you earlier about the things being said about me...how I've harassed some teacher, how I've attacked and injured a few other students...I wasn't lying!" She suddenly shrieked as Tsukune shook his head disbelievingly.

"I've never harassed anyone, I...it's exactly the other way around!" Mizore suddenly bit out in fury Tsukune had to admit he hadn't seen in her ever since _that _incident. "Some time ago I had a crush on a teacher named Okuto Kotsubo for a while, that much I admit", she began her tale. "But it was _he _who did the harassing! On the day I confessed my love for him, he tried to take advantage of me. I was so in love with him, I trusted him so much...and he just ended up using it against me!" She finished, her voice breaking towards the end at the remembrance of the betrayal.

Tsukune thought about the pompous gym teacher, recalling his muscular and alluring outlooks and popularity with the girls. When he reflected all he knew about him in light of Mizore's words, Tsukune found that the idea of him going so far as molesting someone didn't seem all that alien anymore.

"And that's not all." He heard Mizore continuing. "About those other students they say I've attacked...I _did _freeze over two boys who came to hit on me when I was depressed. But I swear it was nothing so serious, I returned them back to normal as soon as I'd regained my composure, and I saw them run off to their rooms on their own legs. They were completely fine." The girl assured.

"Now that I think about it..." She went on, her face growing dark with anger. "I'm pretty sure those guys boasted to me about being in Mr. Kotsubo's soccer team when they tried to impress me...that's it! Kotsubo must've lied about them so he could have me expelled! He was probably afraid I'd reveal what he'd done to me, that bastard..."

Tsukune took in Mizore's words silently as the girl grit her teeth in anger. _If nothing else, she sure knows how to make up interesting lies._

"And I suppose you don't have any proof for any of this?" He finally spoke sceptically, but the fact he'd even considered Shirayuki's story showed he didn't think it entirely impossible.

Mizore's face dropped instantly. "No, I...unless..." She trailed off, her head slowly bowing in shame.

"...unless what?" Tsukune prodded, his interest mildly aroused.

"Nagare Kano..." Mizore answered, her voice shaking with disgust.

"What?"

"Nagare Kano", she repeated. "He's also a student at the academy. He's a..._photographer _of sorts."

"Explain."

"He's someone whose been stalking me for quite a while now, constantly taking pervy pictures of me. He probably thinks I don't know about him, but it's kind of impossible to miss his stink. The only reason I never stopped him was that I had more pressing issues on my mind."

"And how do you suppose this Nagare person and his pictures could help backing up anything you've said?"

"Well, he did take those pictures of me almost all the time. There's a pretty good chance he caught Kotsubo on his camera when he tried to...to..." Tsukune raised his hand, indicating the girl needed not to recall the unpleasant events she at least claimed to have happened with the gym teacher.

"Mizore", Tsukune spoke at length, drawing the expectant and hopeful gaze of the snow girl to him. "I hope you understand this isn't a 'nothing to lose'-situation for you.", he warned. "If you're lying, it'll be added to your list of crimes and you're only going to make it worse for yourself. So for the last time, have you been telling me the truth?"

"Yes", Mizore replied without skipping a beat, nodding deeply for emphasis.

"Very well", Tsukune said as he rose from his seat. "I'll go look into it. In the meantime, try to be co-operative with whoever comes to speak with you. We mean you no harm...even if _you _would."

"Thank you", the girl replied. There was no doubt she felt hurt at Tsukune's continued hostility towards her, but she understood the reasons behind it. Thus she decided to be happy the boy had given her something even remotely akin to a friendly advice in the first place.

Tsukune left in search for the one who could either prove the snow girl's innocence or seal her casket for good.

* * *

As soon as Tsukune had looked up the file on the name Mizore had provided, he instantly felt her story gaining more credibility. _I can't believe it's _him _again!_

"Nagare Kano?" He called out in a loud voice, his tone slipping into its unusual coldness without effort.

The boy in question, lurking behind a tree in the school yard, gave a start and whirled around, nearly dropping the camera in his hands. "Y-yes?"

"A moment of your time, if you will." And despite the formatting of his words, the tone in Tsukune's voice spoke of anything but friendly intentions.

By now the girls Nagare'd been stalking had noticed them and run off, shooting angry curses at them. Tsukune simply walked up to the slime-coated boy and tore the camera out oh his hands, immediately beginning to search through all the pictures stored into the device.

"H-hey! What're you doing, that's my cam-"

"SHUT UP!" The vampire-Tsukune barked and flashed his crimson eyes at the snail boy, silencing him instantly.

Having ensured Nagare wouldn't interrupt him anymore, Tsukune returned to his work of studying the contents of the camera, particularly looking for any girls with light purple hair and icy blue eyes.

And then he found them.

Picture after picture portraying the snow girl Shirayuki Mizore began to show up. The shots were numerous and of very different situations, from the girl sitting absently in the classroom to her enjoying her popsicles and lollipops. The latter kinds had evidently been of extraordinary interest to Nagare, with what Tsukune could tell from the amount of available close-ups showing Mizore licking the sweets with the utmost delicacy and fervor. The boy had even had the nerve to capture a few photographs of the girls' changing room, where the snow girl could be seen in varying states of undress.

Tsukune felt disgusted. Both by the shamelessness of the snail boy oozing slime before him and his own slight arousal at seeing the pictures.

And then he found _them_.

A string of images displaying Mizore and the gym teacher Kotsubo at the cliffs where Tsukune had found the girl earlier. Remembering what Mizore had told him about having a serious crush on the attractive older man, he deduced that she must've taken Kotsubo there to her favourite spot to confess to him. _Such a sweet idea. _Throughout the whole affair shown in the pictures Nagare had taken, the joy of being sincerely in love was plain on the snow girl's face while even Kotsubo looked genuinely pleased and kind.

But swiftly the atmosphere changed. As Kotsubo's affectionate caresses turned to daring touches and even downright groping, so did Mizore's countenance twist from happy to terrified and hurt. At last the scene ended with Mizore running away in tears while Kotsubo was left alone to look after her with irritation and embarrassment.

Shame, anger, and disbelief seized Tsukune into one chaotic grip. He was enraged by Kotsubo's outrageous behavior and Nagare's continued voyeurism even at such a moment, while the shame was reserved for himself for treating the girl the way he had without knowing better.

"I will be confiscating this camera along with the pictures within by the jurisdiction of the Student Police." He decreed coldly. "And you", he continued when Nagare was about to protest, "will be taken into custody later for passively assisting a serious attempt at sexual abuse. Do not even think of trying to escape, for even if you didn't leave an obvious track wherever you went, we at the Student Police have our ways."

And as Tsukune stormed off to the law-enforcers' headquarters, Nagare was left waiting dumbstruck for his impending judgement.

* * *

An uneasy atmosphere hung in the air when Tsukune stood again in the prison Mizore had been shut into. Without saying a word he pulled the keys to Mizore's cell from his pocket, the soft jingling of the metal the only sound in the room.

The snow girl waited with a mixture of expectancy and dread what the results of the boy's research would be.

"_Shirayuki-san..."_

At the soft call of her name, filled with compassion and apology, Mizore knew she was saved.

"I went to find the stalker you were talking about...and it's all just like you said. He...in his camera..." Tsukune shook his head in contempt, struggling to find the right words. "We have all the evidence. On my way here, I even stopped by the boys' dormitories to ask about the two guys in the soccer team they said you'd hurt. I found them and they said the same thing you did..." The boy trailed off, having difficulties in comprehending the extent of the misunderstandings. "You're free of the charges set against you, Shirayuki Mizore." He finally finished, forcing himself to utter the inevitable conclusion of his findings.

"Oh, Tsukune..." The snow girl breathed, unable to contain the joyful emotions welling inside of her.

"Now all that's left is what you did to me."

Mizore felt newfound desperation clutch at her heart at the boy's soft declaration. During the whole time Tsukune had kept his eyes on the wall behind the girl, staring at it as if in a daze. Only now did he turn his gaze to Mizore, and she let her hopes rise again as she found his eyes devoid of malice or harsh judgement.

"You hurt me and traumatized me deeply, Mizore, and I can't brush that aside. Moreover, you've broken the school regulations by skipping class excessively. But", he paused and looked the girl in the eye intensely. "your neglect of school attendance is not so serious a crime, and your actions against me personally are something I alone may set the punishment for."

"So what do you say, Shirayuki Mizore", Tsukune said as he reached his hand towards the girl sitting on the ground, "if I tell you to join me here in the Student Police and help me continue ensuring the peace of our school?"

Mizore took only the moment to marvel at the momentary rightness of the world before heartily accepting the offered hand.


	9. Cracks in the Picture

Chapter Nine: Cracks in the Picture

"Things have been quite hectic as of late."

"So much I've figured out myself. I await your more detailed report."

"First of all, it seems there are quite a lot of unresolved issues involving the witch girl, Ruby."

"Such as?"

"I'm not sure of their exact nature, but for some reason she's been hostile by standard towards everyone around her. At least until recently, that is."

"Do go on."

"I've discerned that her attitude towards the young boy, Tsukune, has changed somewhat. It's like she's grown to accept him alone, even if just a tiny bit."

"And to what do you base this observation?"

"I think it's mostly apparent in the hushed and brief conversations the two of them share every now and then. It might not sound like much, but when considered she used to loathe his very presence, and she still does for everybody else, I'd say that's quite an improvement."

"That it does sound like. Anything else?"

"It appears that Tsukune, the very same boy I mentioned you earlier, was assigned to a special task of his own a while go. It turned out to be quite a disaster, for he was injured so badly he had to spend several days in the infirmary."

The figure in the lush armchair instantly perked up in his seat. "What else do you know about it? Tell me everything."

"It was just some misbehaving student he was told to pacify. Despite the initial failure, he did somehow manage to pull it off in the end."

"How can you say that?"

"I'd say the fact that very same ruffian who disabled him now clings to him like glue and complies every word he says is enough of a proof he did _something _right. Ha, first Ruby and now this Mizore-girl. If you allow me the remark, I'd say our Tsukune here is quite the people person."

"That is very interesting indeed..."

"..."

"If I may ask, has there been any developments on our front? To be specific, how are the plans proceeding?"

"Smoothly as always, my friend, smoothly as always. But what you just told me gave me an idea I think to be worth pursuing."

"How exciting! Would you care to let me in on your thoughts a bit more?"

"I believe that to be unwise at this point. But trust me on this my friend, the fireworks will be that much more stunning if this succeeds."

"Whatever. So long as you keep me entertained, I'm in. Anyway, that's all from me this time. Something else you need me for?"

"No, you are dismissed. Thank you for the good work and as always, keep it up."

Kiria bowed, turned, and left.

* * *

Okuto Kotsubo sat in his office uneasily. It had been weeks already since Shirayuki Mizore, his latest adventure and failed conquest, had stopped coming to school. And exactly one week ago she'd disappeared from the apartment she'd barricaded herself in and nobody had seen a trace of her ever since. It wasn't as if the gym teacher would've cared so much about the girl herself, it was the information she carried and could thus expose that worried him to no end.

_I should've taken care of that brat myself when I had the chance_, he seethed to himself. _Oh well, better a little late than never_, he mused and was ready to get up from his seat, intent on finding the girl and doing away with her himself.

A knock on the door stayed his movements, however. It was not the soft and hesitant tap of the insecure snow girl, nor was it the brisk knock of his fellow teachers. It was a downright beating, one that seemed to be ready to crush the door off its hinges at any moment.

Kotsubo was saved the bother of getting up and answering the door as that was exactly what happened. The door shot wide open, and in walked the Student Police's two most prestigious members whom he recognized to be Tsukune and Gin.

"Hello there, Mr. Kotsubo." Began the younger of the two, his red slitted eyes glaring daggers at him. "I hope we didn't come at an inconvenient time?"

"N-no, not at all", the gym teacher managed to mutter out, falling back into his seat and failing to hide his discomfort. "How can I help you?"

"You can start by explaining this", Tsukune replied without missing a beat and slammed a picture on the desk right under his nose.

Kotsubo took a glance at the photograph before him and found it to be portraying him with his hand buried in the cleavage of one very frightened looking Shirayuki Mizore.

That was all the gym teacher needed to realize his peril, and he shot up from his seat instantly and began to transform into his monster self.

Tsukune and Gin had anticipated this, however, and the bulky Kraken was left at an overwhelming disadvantage inside the cramped office, faced by two very powerful and very angry law-enforcers. Tsukune, having gotten used to wearing the Whip of Belmont all the time now, skillfully swung the whip and caught Kotsubo by the ankle. In a couple of quick movements of his arm he then lifted him into the air and slammed him down on his back on the floor.

"I've got only one question for you, Kotsubo." He growled as he planted his foot on his forehead and bent down so their faces were mere inches apart. "_Why _did you do it?"

Kotsubo stared at the grim face right in front of his own, feeling all reason and composure escape him at the intensive scrutiny of the crimson eyes. "S-she told me she loved me? Wh-what else was I supposed to do? Why couldn't I have had a little fun since she...she..."

Tsukune sighed and shook is head in disgust as the gym teacher trailed off, evidently realizing just how futile and pitiful his own words were.

"Her love was truly wasted on you", Tsukune spoke almost sadly and swung his arm again, this time sending the defeated Kraken flying through the mangled door and out into the open. This was a sign for the dozen of other members of the Student Police to come out, surrounding the gym teacher and capturing him without the slightest hesitance or mercy.

As the two came out of the small office themselves, Tsukune rounded the corner to find Nagare crouching under an open window.

"Did you get all that on tape?" Tsukune asked him, motioning towards the small recorder in the boy's slimy hands.

"Y-yes I did, here, listen to it yourself" Nagare replied nervously and tossed the device to Tsukune, who caught it between his fingers. Careful not to let his hands get stained by the goo coating the recorder, he pressed the play-button and listened.

He listened to the panicking sounds Kotsubo made as they showed the him the accusing picture. He listened as the molester desperately tried to put up a fight and escape them. He listened to his pitiful stuttered excuses which served as clear a confession as any. He listened and he was pleased.

"Good", he commented as the tape reached its end. He knew the pictures they had would be more than enough of an evidence against the gym teacher, but Tsukune figured one could never be too careful. Having Nagare do something even remotely useful for them served also as a good way to start his punishment.

"Tsukune", Gin called and walked up to the boy as Kotsubo was taken away from the scene, "I'll escort Nagare here back to the headquarters. You take the pictures and that tape to Moka and Kurumu, I bet they'll be able to write one heck of a story out of this."

"I will. Thanks, Gin." Tsukune nodded and started for the academy.

A figure followed him in hiding close by.

* * *

"This...this is _incredible!_" Kurumu breathed as she leafed through the photos showing Kotsubo harassing the snow girl. "Where did you get these, Tsukune?"

"Ah, let's just say the Student Police doesn't lack for helping hands these days", Tsukune shrugged. _No need to upset her by telling Nagare is still at his hobby._

"Well duh!" The succubus huffed. "Way to go Kotsubo, screwed up really bad now didn't you?" She mumbled absently as she continued to look at the pictures in morbid fascination.

"We were actually thinking you could write an article about this incident for the next Youkai Times issue", Tsukune explained the reason he'd brought the pictures for their viewing in the first place.

"Huh? Would that really be okay?"

"Of course. Something like this is sure to cause lots of gossiping, after all, so it'd probably be wise to write a proper report detailing only the facts." The boy reasoned.

"Uh-huh. Thanks a lot Tsukune, this is really going to be a blast!"

"No problem. Just make sure to blur the girl's face in any image you decide to publish. I'm sure you understand it could be very uncomfortable for the victim if everyone knew who she was."

"Sure, that's a given." The blue-haired girl assured.

"Umm...Tsukune?" Moka spoke up for the first time, having quietly watched the pictures over Kurumu's shoulder until now. "Is this be the same girl who attacked you?" She inquired softly. "I mean, I really haven't seen many other snow people in the school..."

_Crap_, the boy cursed inwardly. He'd hoped the matter with the snow girl could be buried and forgotten in all silence, as it had all turned out for the better in the end and, besides the mental scars, no permanent damage had been done. _But of course _they _wouldn't let it go, _he mused as he thought about the girls' overprotective nature when it came to him. _If I just tell them it isn't and the real attacker has been sent away, then maybe-_

"It is", Came the deadpan reply out of the blue, cutting off Tsukune's thoughts as well as any evasive answer he could've come up with himself.

The three pairs of eyes darted towards the voice's direction, and from behind a large desk rose Shirayuki Mizore herself, a fresh lollipop dangling from her mouth as usual. "I'm the one who Kotsubo harassed, and as much as I hate to admit it, I'm the one who attacked Tsuku-"

The five extended claws that shot towards the snow girl prevented her from finishing the confession. Mizore ducked her head just in time as the nails cut through the air and hit the chalkboard behind her, crushing it instantly.

"You little bitch!" Kurumu cried in fury and jumped after the snow girl, intent on giving her a piece of her mind regarding her actions against her Destined One.

Her movements were halted by almost a dozen ice kunais shooting straight at her. None of the icy daggers hit her in full, but they all scraped at her more or less severely. Mizore emerged from her hiding place, her hands raised for combat and leaving no guesses as to who had shot the icy spikes moments ago.

"My icicles missed you on purpose", the snow girl spoke calmly. "I do not wish to hurt you, for I understand you're both Tsukune's friends. In fact, so am I, so why don't we just-"

"Don't you dare give me that bullshit", Kurumu hissed as she launched at the other girl again, losing none of her ferocity.

But the succubus came up short again as her attack, this time a fierce punch, shattered only the ice doll Mizore had created in her stead.

Spinning around like a ferocious animal in search of her prey, Kurumu found the snow girl walking calmly towards Tsukune. At the alarming sight she moved into action again, but this time she was stopped for good by a whole front of Mizore's ice dolls blocking her way. "I'm tired of playing with you", the snow girl called out to her without even turning around. "You should stop it already."

"No! _You _stop it, you monster!" The succubus yelled in desperation. "Moka, don't just stand there, do something!"

The pink-haired vampire was helpless, with her rosary on she couldn't use any of her vampire powers. Thus all she could do was to step in front of Tsukune and spread her arms wide in order to protect him. "D-don't come any closer", she warned the snow girl with shaky voice. "Tsukune, please hurry and take the rosary off my neck so I can stop her!" She turned her head to address the boy behind her.

Tsukune heaved a sigh and shook his head tiredly. "Drop it, Moka. It's useless." He said evenly while placing a relaxing hand on the girl's shoulder.

"B-but how can you say that, Tsukune? She hurt you, she-"

"It's in the past now", the boy cut her off with the simple reply. "There's no need to dig it further, and besides, she's already begun to atone for her actions."

"It's true", the snow girl affirmed while stepping past the shocked Moka and proceeding to Tsukune's side. "Tsukune told me that it's something between the two of us alone", she continued while draping her arm around the vampire-Tsukune's taut shoulders, "and we agreed I should help him from now on in the Student Police."

"Nevermind. What are you doing here anyway, Shirayuki?" The boy tried to ignore the devastated looks on the girls' faces by changing the subject, shrugging Mizore's arm off of him.

"I watched over your back, of course. After all, isn't it only appropriate I do so after what I did myself?"

"So now you're even stalking him", Kurumu whispered in rage as she stepped over the remains of the ice dolls she'd destroyed, the shattered ice crunching under her feet.

"I can't _believe _you", she seethed as she walked right up to where Mizore and Tsukune stood. "You hurt an innocent student to the point of nearly killing him, disappear without even trying to make it right, and finally abuse the kindness of your victim and stay close to him!? Un_fucking_believable!"

"And _you_", she turned her attention to Tsukune, took a deep breath, and continued: "aren't much better either. You take up a dangerous task all for yourself without even seeing to your own safety, get hurt, and go at it _again _without even accepting the help of the friends who _love you?" _By this point her voice was starting to crack with emotion. "And to top it off, you accept your abuser's apology and take her beside you to a position you didn't grant even to those who actually care about you?" She gazed up at the boy with eyes swimming in tears. "What happened to you, Tsukune? I don't understand you at all anymore..."

"Kurumu..." The boy said and raised his hands to soothe her, terrified by the sudden show of anger and disbelief he hadn't seen her display ever before. "Please listen, I-"

"Get out", the succubus breathed in a voice barely audible.

"Wh-what did you s-"

"Get out! Both of you, _GET THE FUCK OUT!"_

Tsukune stood aghast, astonishment written all over his face. Moka was too terrified to utter a sound, her hands raised to her mouth as if trying to shield herself. Mizore regarded the succubus with seemingly bottomless contempt.

Without a word Tsukune pushed past the blue-haired girl who stood with her hands clenched at her sides, shaking in either rage or tears. Mizore followed suit.

Silence reigned long after they were gone.

* * *

"So how's it going?" Tsukune asked as he stood outside the school building, regarding the work being done before him.

"Surprisingly well, I must say" Gin answered while surveying the procedures with a hint of approval showing on his countenance.

"I must say it was an excellent idea to put them up to this", the younger of the two commended.

"Ha, I have to agree to that even though I say so myself."

"How much longer do you suppose it'll take before everything's done?"

"We're actually just finishing up here, so I'd say it'll take from two to three days more. After that there's just some minor personal property damage left; something we can't do much about."

"That's good, then."

The two of them were quietly watching as the dozens of low-rank members of their Student Police were hard at work rebuilding the school. Since Gin had all too soon found out to his dismay that their regular troops weren't cut for almost any complicated work, pairing them with the tools needed to fix the physical damage to the school seemed like a match made in heaven. And now it appeared to have been a good decision, for almost all of the destruction was now undone.

"What about you? Were the girls excited about the story idea I told you to give 'em?"

"Y-yeah, I guess you could say so." _Very, very excited._

Tsukune'd been trying to hide his discomfort at the question, but the older youth noticed the slight tensing of his shoulders instantly. Deciding it wasn't a matter worth pursuing right then and there, as well as not wanting to tamper his own good mood with any minor worries the other might've had, Gin opted to let it slide for now.

"Well that's good, then. By the way, there's some paperwork to be done at the headquarters, but it looks like I have to stay and oversee the work here for now. How about you take care of it for me, Tsukune?"

"Sure, why not", Tsukune consented, happy to have something to take his mind off of what happened earlier.

"Great. I'll escort you back, Tsukune", Mizore said while appearing from behind a stack of planks. She'd been coldly brushed aside by Tsukune the moment they'd exited the newspaper club's room, leaving her no option but to go back to hiding again.

"What the-!! Ugh, whatever, let's just get going", Tsukune said irritably, having failed to hold back the yelp of surprise at Mizore's sudden appearance.

And as the pair began to walk away, Gin watched them go with another master plan beginning to form in his mind.

* * *

Tsukune was immersed in filling the files detailing the Student Police's incomes, expenses, and other technical specs when a knock sounded on his door.

"Come in", he called without pausing his work.

The door opened to admit one of the regular guards patrolling the headquarters. "You have a visitor, sir."

"Oh. Who is it", Tsukune asked while raising his gaze.

"He...he's the one who took you to the infirmary back then, sir", the guard answered uncertainly, knowing the attack on one of the Student Police's leading members was a touchy subject.

Tsukune's attention was instantly aroused, and he set the pen and papers in his hand aside. "Well, what are you waiting for?" He queried impatiently. "Show him in."

The guard retreated with a hasty bow and a moment later a tall and slender man with glasses walked in.

"Mr. Aono Tsukune", he greeted and bowed deeply.

"Please refrain from such formalities", Tsukune admonished in a friendly manner. "After the unaccountable service you did to me, I think it goes without saying you're free to call me by my first name."

"And here I feared I was being a bother by coming to check on you after what happened. You're simply too kind, Tsukune."

"Say nothing of it please, ah, Kaneshiro Hokuto-san?" Tsukune replied after checking the man's name from his profile.

"Since you allowed me the honor of calling you by your first name, I shall return the favor."

"In other words, that'll be just Hokuto for you, Tsukune."


	10. Make it Right

Chapter Ten: Make it Right

Tsukune felt like he was on cloud nine. The previous night he'd had the utmost pleasure of making acquaintance with one Kaneshiro Hokuto, the man who'd saved his life on that fateful day his first meeting with Mizore had gone awry. Not only had he had the good mind to take him to the infirmary in the first place, last night he'd even gone so far as to visit him personally to see if he was all right. As a caring person of the exact same nature, Tsukune truly appreciated the gesture and marveled at the fact that the man had been up to it to begin with. After all, he was one of the Student Police's low-rank members of whom Gin hadn't given all that flattering a picture.

As the two had found the company of the other more than agreeable, Hokuto's visit had lasted longer than the time it took so say a few simple pleasantries. As it had been the consequences of Mizore's actions that had prompted the other man to come see him, it was only natural the conversation had steered that way. One can only imagine Tsukune's joy as Hokuto had actually praised him for the way he'd handled things with the snow girl, especially after the negative response he'd received from his two best friends. It'd soon become apparent the two of them shared very similar views on morals and ideals in general.

In other words, Tsukune felt like he'd found a soulmate; the kind of a hero he'd hoped to meet the whole time he'd spent at the academy. A kindred spirit to whom he could relate without any reservations.

Unfortunately the gaining of a new friend also reminded him of the serious skirmish he'd had with Kurumu and Moka, ending with the current air of hurt confusion between them.

But Tsukune was left inspired by his meeting with Hokuto. So inspired, in fact, that he decided to do something about it as soon as he could.

He was going to make it right.

* * *

"I must admit I'm quite surprised by this newest stunt of yours."

"Oh? How so?"

"I never thought you'd be the type to get sentimental with your enemies just when things are about to get serious. Really, it makes me wonder if you're truly insane."

"Not more so than I usually am."

"Ah, a joke. How funny."

"Well, you always did like to be entertained."

"How courteous of you to tend to my needs like that. So, are you finally going to enlighten me about the genius of your latest whim?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm just making new friends, something you yourself should try some time."

"Making friends with the enemy? Now that's a new one. Why don't you explain lest I think I'm the one who's gone senile here?"

"It's elementary, Kiria: the closer I get to the boy with seemingly friendly intentions, the more shocked he'll be when he discovers my true motives. And shocked men make for an easy prey, my friend."

"I...I see."

"Truly, I'm surprised you didn't pick up on it sooner. Makes me wonder if you're the one losing his touch here."

"Worry not, I was simply too surprised myself to think clearly. A spy does not simply walk into an audience with his co-worker and stay calm when he finds his _true _employer sitting there as well, after all."

"Ha, your expression was truly worth a million right there. Never thought you'd be capable of such a show of awe."

"It only proves your powers of impressing."

"Why thank you, coming from you, that is certainly much."

"So, what's next? Now that you've made your presence known in front of the enemy, I can't imagine our plans standing still for much longer."

"Indeed. Our project is finally starting to reach its final stages, my friend. Soon we'll be plucking the fruits of our labours, I can assure you of that."

"So is it time to set the last piece of our plan in motion?"

Hokuto took a deep breath through his nose, as if relishing the moment. "Yes", he then breathed out as if sighing in deep contentment. "Go and make the final preparations."

Kiria bowed, turned, and left.

* * *

As lunch break arrived, Moka and Kurumu were sitting at a relatively distant spot from the other hustling and bustling monsters enjoying their meals. _Please meet me this noon at the small garden_, the message had arrived at each of their cell phones respectively, the sender being signed as Aono Tsukune.

Truth be told, both girls waited for their shared love interest's arrival with growing dread and uncertainty, not with the usual joy at the promise of the chocolate-eyed boy's company. Their last meeting in the clubroom had gotten terribly out of hand, after all, and even though both girls would've liked to put all the blame on the wayward snow girl, they knew it wasn't going to pass as an excuse for their overreaction. Now they only hoped things could be returned to the way they were.

But as much as there would be apologizing on their part when Tsukune arrived, both of them also knew there was some validity in the accusation the heated succubus had shot at Tsukune and Mizore. _If that snow girl is truly sorry for what she's done and even considers herself as Tsukune's friend, why is she staying with him at all anymore? Shouldn't she have locked herself somewhere so she couldn't _ever_ again do something like that to Tsukune? _Moka wondered incredulously, unable to keep the venom so unlike to this side of her out of her thoughts.

_And that Tsukune...why in the world is he allowing that vandal near him? Why was he swayed so easily, why did he accept her close to him when he didn't accept even us, why..._

The approaching footsteps sounding on the ground heralded that the girls would soon get to ask the questions on their minds. Both of them looked up and found the boy walking towards them with a steady pace, followed close behind by Yukari, Ruby, and Mizore.

"Hey there", Tsukune greeted them in his usual brisk tone, only slightly restrained by the gravity everyone knew to be clouding the occasion.

"What is _she _doing here?" The blue-haired succubus dismissed the attempted cheerfulness with the harsh inquiry and the narrowed glare at Mizore.

"Kurumu", the boy addressed her softly. "I understand you're still upset with her, but I called you all out here for a reason other than fighting", he pleaded. "So could you please hear what she and I have to say?"

Kurumu shook her head as if about to argue, but ultimately deciding to give her consent with a huff: "Alright, whatever. I don't think I could salvage much of my appetite now that she's shown up anyway, so why don't we just let her ruin it till the end."

"Thank you, Kurumu", Tsukune nodded, his voice deep with sincere gratefulness.

"C-C'mon, quit just standing there and take a seat for Pete's sake." The succubus muttered, slightly embarrassed by the boy's humility.

At Kurumu's bidding everyone drew a chair for themselves and sat. For a while no one said anything, until Mizore, knowing she was a great deal of the reason they were there in the first place, took it upon herself to speak up.

"First of all I'd really like to express once more just how sorry I am for what happened", she began, taking the ever-present lollipop out of her mouth for emphasis.

_Wow. If she's willing to give up on that constant suckilng even for a moment, she must be at least trying to appear honest, _Kurumu thought with mock impress.

Receiving no interruption, Mizore continued: "I don't really think there's any I can properly explain my actions, but I want you to know that when Tsukune came to me that day, I was at my breaking point. There'd been just...so much going on, as I'm sure you know." The snow girl fell silent, and everyone's expressions took upon an uncomfortable look. All of them knew what she was talking about, and all of them had at least some personal experience themselves of what she'd been through.

Yet none of them but Mizore could claim to know what it felt like to be betrayed in such a way by the very man they used to love.

"Even so", Kurumu finally managed in a shaky voice after swallowing her empathy. "There's no way you could ever justify attacking someone totally unrelated to your own problems, especially such a sweet boy as Tsukune."

Mizore averted her eyes in shame. "I know..so-"

"So since we agree you're completely beyond redemption, why don't you tell us just why the hell is it you still dare to show your face around Tsukune!?"

"Kurumu..." Moka tried to plea, recognizing the dangerous fury the succubus had displayed on their previous meeting - and remembering the consequences all too well.

"Shut up! Kurumu barked at the pink-haired vampire. "She just confessed herself there was no reason behind what she did, so let's hear it. C'mon, snow bitch, let's hear what you've got!"

The reactions towards the succubus' tantrum varied around the table, from Moka hugging herself and unable to watch at all to Ruby who regarded the scene playing before her with something akin to a morbid fascination.

For a while Mizore felt like she was about to be torn in two by the emotions raging inside of her. On one hand she wanted nothing more than to shove her icy claws down the succubus' throat and silence her forever. On the other she understood perfectly the blue-haired girls furious bitching and felt like she deserved it. In the end, like it was apt for the nature of her kind, she managed to keep her cool and speak for herself.

"I know that I made a horrible mistake, and I know that there shouldn't be any way for me to atone. But", Mizore paused as she raised her gaze to look the succubus in the eye, "I disagree that I'm 'beyond redemption', like you put it. For a while I thought there was nothing I could do as well, but then one person came to me and told me I was wrong. And that person was Tsukune himself." She said while turning her adoring eyes to the boy.

"That's right. Tsukune told me I could make up for what I did by helping him in the Student Police, and if he himself as the one who I attacked believes I can atone for myself that way, who am I to deny him? Just like you, I love him, and I'm willing to do anything for him. Anything." Mizore concluded, her voice having gained a stern edge showing nothing of her previous humbleness.

Silence descended as everyone pondered what they'd just heard. Even Kurumu had come down from the pinnacle of her fury, and now she sat quietly like everybody else. Only her knit brows and the sound of her teeth gritting spoke of the smoldering wrath within her.

"Is it true, Tsukune?" Moka finally ventured. "Have you really forgiven her? Can you really forget what she did to you?"

"Forget, no, I can never do that. But yes, I have forgiven her." Tsukune spoke evenly. "What she did was extreme, but so were the conditions she was under. With her helping us in the Student Police as a form of punishment, I truly feel like this is something we can all put behind us."

"Okay, okay, we get it", Kurumu piped in, her voice showing now mere irritation as opposed to her earlier fury. "But what the heck is all this about 'punishment', she said she loved you and now you're letting her be close to you like all the time! How's that supposed to be a punishment?"

"There's more to her being in the Student Police than just helping out." Tsukune explained. "She used to be a problem student herself, so having her there helping us to maintain our school's peace is an appropriate way for her to redeem herself. Besides that, by having her close to us we can also monitor her so that she won't be slipping back to her old ways."

"That's right", Mizore backed him up. "I'm rarely allowed to leave anywhere by myself, and I have to help out with all kind of menial stuff at their base." _Though I can easily sneak away from them anytime I want. Besides, so long as Tsukune's there, I don't really mind._

"And if that doesn't sound like bad enough to you", the snow girl continued, "I'm now actually paired up with this creepy Nagare guy."

"WHAT!?" The girls, save for Ruby, exclaimed as one. "Y-you mean that icky snail photographer?" Kurumu inquired in newfound disgust, the one she felt for Mizore now momentarily forgotten.

"Yup, that one. And all because he happens to be good at what he does: stalking and taking pictures." _A bit like me, _she reluctantly admitted to herself.

"Wh-what do they need you two together for?" Kurumu asked in genuine interest.

"Eh, it's just some student who Gin told us to spy on. I'm not supposed to tell you who it is, but really, it's just some random dude who Gin thinks to be suspicious. Is that guy paranoid or something?"

"Him? Ha, no way. I can't imagine he'd really give a damn about someone that much, unless...hey, it wouldn't happen to be some hot chick you two are following, would it? Cause if it was, then it'd totally be like that wolf to make you get some juicy info of her for him..."

"Nah, it's a guy. Though he is kinda pretty enough to be a girl..."

Everyone at the table shared a laugh at that, their mirth stemming from both the amusing scenario and the fact that somehow the conversation had managed to turn light, even pleasant, despite its initially serious nature.

"Ahem", Kurumu coughed, bringing everyone's attention back to the issue at hand. "Well then, Shirayuki. I still can't say I would even remotely condone your actions, but if even Tsukune here can let it pass", she stole a quick glance at the boy who nodded in affirmation, "then I guess I can at least try and _tolerate _you. So what do you say, snow bitch, if we call it a truce for now?" She concluded while, almost daringly, held out her hand.

Mizore slapped her palm briefly against Kurumu's. "Couldn't ask for more, busty cow."

"Good, you shouldn't" She replied curtly while Mizore was already proceeding to shake hands with Moka. "Oh, and Yukari? Kurumu waited until the young witch's eyes turned to her. "I trust you to keep an eye on these two. Report to me immediately if the snow bitch here tries anything funny or if Tsukune gets too clueless around her, okay?"

"Sure thing!" The eleven-year-old replied with a brisk salute.

"Super. Now if this is settled then I suggest me and Moka get back to class, 'cause it seems like we're already a bit late." Kurumu said while glancing at their deserted surroundings, everyone else having gone back inside long since.

Moka was already on her feet and ready to go, kissing Tsukune goodbye on the neck like she usually did. Moka bid the boy farewell in her customary way as well, finally alarmed to let him go when his struggling against the chokehold of her chest nearly stopped. "Bye Tsukune~!" She called over her shoulder while running towards the school.

Meanwhile, Ruby sat still and silent like she'd done the whole time. At first she couldn't fathom why the boy had to drag her along to sort out his personal business, but she began to see it now. _So many different monsters, so many different views, all gathered around the same table. And all because of him...a human. _She couldn't have thought it possible, yet here she was: sitting dumbstruck after a meeting of such a variety of personalities and races. A meeting that had ended in peace, and because of a human, no less. She recalled his words about restoring harmony between humans and monsters; something she'd thought to be mere idle verbiage.

But she'd been proven wrong.

He'd proven her wrong.

And if Tsukune's ability to forgive was as remarkable as what he'd shown today, then maybe, just maybe...she would be able to do the same.

"Ruby!" He called out to her from a distance, and she finally rose to hurry after the boy who become her anchor to what faith she had in peaceful coexistence between monsters and humans.

* * *

That night Tsukune went to bed with his heart lightened. As everything had turned out for the better with his friends, he felt like he could truly lay himself to rest with an easy mind.

He stripped from his clothes one by one until only the Whip of Belmont, which he'd gotten used to carry with him at all times now, was the only article on his body. He glanced at the item and grimaced. Besides the obvious discomfort the whip caused by constantly squeezing his thigh like a vice, it also served to remind him of his lost humanity. He was a monster now, and he could never go back to his previous carefree life as a human.

_But maybe just for tonight_, he thought to himself. After all the good things he'd achieved today, would it be so bad if he rewarded himself a little by taking the whip off? To allow himself to be just Tsukune the average human boy for one night? _No, of course it wouldn't._

Thus encouraged, Tsukune yanked the whip off of his leg in one triumphant pull and let it fall to the floor.

Nothing happened.


	11. A Prelude

Chapter Eleven: A Prelude

It was well past midnight when Tsukune stormed into the headmaster's office.

"Just what the hell is going on here?" He demanded angrily, slamming his hands on the man's desk.

"Now, now. What seems to be the-"

"Look at me!"

"Yes?" The headmaster queried in mild amusement at the boy's wild antics.

"What do you see?"

"Why, I see a rather rude young man who forgot to make a request for his sudden audience, failed to properly announce his entrance, and finally, seems to have been in too great a hurry to button up his shirt." The white-clad man listed, knowing full well none of it was what the boy was after yet humoring him anyway. Besides, the boy deserved a jab or two for disrespectfully barging in like that.

"Damn it", Tsukune barked, giving up on his indirect approach. "I can't turn back to human anymore even after discarding the whip. What's happened?"

The headmaster smiled. "Oh? But Tsukune, how do you suppose I would know what has caused this situation?"

"Don't play dumb with me! You were the one who gave it back to me and told be to hold on to it at all times, weren't you?"

"That I did. So am I right in supposing you've followed that advice a little too thoroughly?"

Tsukune's voice gained a note of uncertainty. "W-what do you mean?"

"Just how much contact have you had with the whip?"

"I...I haven't taken it off of me almost at all these past few weeks, only when it was absolutley necessary and even then for only a few moments at a time. What about it?" He inquired worriedly.

The headmaster's smile grew a little wider. "Well, Tsukune, it seems to me you've fallen permanently under the whip's demonic energy."

"Demonic energy? What exactly do you mean by that?" The boy questioned with growing horror.

"The whip is a strong magical item, Tsukune, as I'm sure you know." The headmaster explained. "Thus it has an equally strong magical aura, and you've subjected yourself to it for too long that it has affected you yourself. What it practically means, Tsukune, is that you can't return to your human form anymore", he spoke with poorly fabricated sympathy. "You're true monster now, my boy. Congratulations."

"Congratulations?" Tsukune repeated hollowly. "But I...I _liked _being human, I...I _am _human..."

"Not anymore", the headmaster deadpanned with neither regret nor malice.

"This wasn't supposed to happen, this...I heard there wouldn't be any drawbacks in using it..." The boy muttered absently, more to himself than anyone else.

"Where did you get that idea?" The headmaster questioned. "There hasn't been any recordings about the whip's possible repercussions, and I myself didn't know about them." _Until now._

Tsukune briefly recalled his conversation with Yukari and the question he'd asked in fear of something like this happening. _She...she said she wasn't sure...goddamnit_, he cursed himself for his carelessness.

"You", Tsukune bit out again. "It was you who told me to hold onto the whip. Did you do it on purpose? Did you know this would happen?!" He demanded with growing fury.

"I didn't have the foggiest idea of these kind of repercussions, as I just told you a moment ago." _Which was why I was experimenting with you to find out. _The headmaster left that unsaid, however, as he figured stating it aloud would only lead to further troublesome squabbling on the boy's part.

"Really, now", he continued as Tsukune seemed to have fallen under a shocked stupor. "Is this such a bad turn of events, after all? You _are_ at a school for monsters, so isn't it only appropriate for you to become one as well? For good, that is, since you've used the whip so much you can't probably even remember what it was like to be human."

"I didn't expect _you _to understand anything about humanity", the boy spat.

The headmaster smiled, happy the boy's ferocity had reduced to mere insults. "Don't be so down, Tsukune. You might be a full-blown monster now, but the rule of the academy still stands: you must be in your human form. And even though you've been granted some leeway in that regard because of your position in the Student Police, that won't go on forever."

"Duh, well there isn't much we can do to help that now, is there?"

"Don't be so sure Tsukune." The headmaster said mysteriously. "I may have something for you which will help you gain back your human form, at least momentarily."

"R-really? What is it?"

"Something for which I need time to prepare. So why don't you be on your way, Tsukune, so that I may get to work?"

"R-right. I'll be going then. But call me the first thing when it's done, okay?"

"Of course."

The headmaster watched Tsukune leave the office.

* * *

_This sucks._

Mizore stole a quick glance at the slime-dripping boy next to her and decided he deserved to hear her thoughts as well.

"This sucks."

"Hmm? Ah, yes, yes. I wouldn't be stalking Kiria either if I could choose", Nagare drawled with a dreamy look in his eyes, not leaving any guesses as to what his choices would be.

"That ain't the only reason", the snow girl deadpanned with a pointed look at the snail boy.

"Oh? What else is there?"

"Nevermind." Mizore shot and turned her attention elsewhere, determining the conversation was over.

_Yoshii Kiria_, she recalled the name as the person in question strolled out of the boys' dorm. _What's so special about him? _She wondered while regarding the boy's elegant and relaxed form through her binoculars. _Okay, sure, he seems more refined and smart than most, but c'mon. It's not like he'd be one of a kind or anything. Why would he need special surveillance? "Because he's suspicious and possibly even dangerous. You seem to be pretty good at all that stealthy stuff and I can't trust this to anyone else, so the job's yours. Nagare'll be there to take pictures for evidence in case you do end up finding something. If all else fails just think to yourself that it's all for Tsukune's sake." _Mizore sighed as she replayed her superior's reasoning in her mind.

Mizore stole another glance at the boy whose attention seemed to be more on her than on their target and sighed again. "C'mon, let's go", she said and together they started on their mission of shadowing Yoshii Kiria.

As it turned out, following the peculiar youth was almost every bit as boring as the snow girl had thought it'd be. The first deviation from a normal student routine the boy should've had was discovered when they arrived at the school, for instead of proceeding to class, Kiria remained near the school gates and continued to read his book. He'd had his eyes on the small tome the whole time while walking to school; the ability to do so the first thing Mizore found really impressive about him.

From there on the day proceeded in much of the same manner, with Kiria continuing to neglect class and focusing his energy on finding a new place for reading every hour or so. In a way he acted like a moody cat in that regard, setting upon one location to lounge at and searching for a new one every time he grew bored with it. Thus the two spies were given a tour around most of the school as Kiria shifted his position from the school rooftop to the nearby woods and everything in between.

Over the time they tailed him Mizore grew more and more interested in the little book Kiria carried. _What could be so fascinating he can't stop reading it? _The snow girl wondered as the boy this time rose from his seat on a bench overlooking a small lake, no doubt having a change of place in his mind. Suddenly he crouched down to tie his loosened shoelaces, putting the book on the ground beside him for a moment. As Mizore's frustration became unbearable for the want of seeing the contents of the mysterious book herself, she came up with a plan.

"Is your camera ready, Nagare?"

"Ah, yeah, I'll be ready to take pictures any time you want", the boy answered after a moment's delay.

"Good. I'm going to freeze up Mr. Bookworm here for a while. I wanna take a look at what he's reading, and I want you to take a few pictures so we can show 'em to the others. Understood?"

"Sure."

"Okay, stay here", Mizore said as she began to sneak towards the as of yet unsuspecting Kiria.

Since Mizore knew he was among the top members of the Student Police she suspected him to be no lousy fighter, thus opting to make her move from a safe distance away. She drew her lungs full of air and then released it in a single, quick blow.

The draught shot towards the boy at a speed of a lighting, leaving a whistling sound in its wake as it went. It reached the boy in a blink of an eye and Kiria was frozen in a block of ice. Only the tightening of his shoulders as he'd been about to get up spoke that he'd even had the time to feel the oncoming cold assault.

Mizore quickly darted to his side and picked up the book from the ground, tearing the cover open without a second thought.

'_The creed of ANTI-THESIS_, read the title page.

In an instant Mizore was alarmed. Since her joining in the Student Police she'd been briefed on the threats against which they fought, and the anti-pure-blood organization of ANTI-THESIS had been one of the most crucial ones of them. Intrigued, the snow girl read on.

The book was filled with intricate descriptions on how the half-breeds had always been wronged, how the pure-bloods were snobby cowards, and how the monsters with mixed origins were in truth the better race. As she leafed through the pages of monstrel propaganda, Mizore eventually stumbled upon a section where the pages were beginning to consist of hand-written notes. What she read next almost froze her insides.

_Operation: The Purge_

_To cleanse the Youkai Academy of its pure-blood filth, the board of directors of ANTI-THESIS has announced to commence a special operation on the day of the annual school festival. At the head of the operation shall be Mr. Kaneshiro Hokuto and Mr. Yoshii Kiria, two long-time devotees of the cause of all half-breeds. Methods included are a special magical item with which the true nature of the academy's students shall be revealed, and the objective is simple: to cause as much havoc as possible._

That was all Mizore needed to read. By the mention of the school festival, which had been long since cancelled because of the violent events of the battle with the previous Student Police, it was evident the plan detailed in the book was old and concocted long in advance.

The original school festival, and thus the secret operation mentioned in the book, was due for tomorrow.

Mizore clutched at the book in her hand and ran, barely remembering to call for Nagare to follow.

* * *

Hokuto was pleased. Seeing how easy it'd been to get close to Aono Tsukune and exploit his open nature, it was evident his decision to worm his way into the Student Police's lower ranks where he could observe his future enemies closely had been a good one. Though he hadn't anticipated it at the time, being the one to carry Tsukune to the infirmary proved to be an excellent pretense to get close to him once Kiria had repeatedly reported on his social naivety. And as the two of them were now having a quiet tea break at Tsukune's office, Hokuto continued to play his part as a caring friend by inquiring on the boy's plainly downcast mood.

"What's the matter, Tsukune?" Hokuto asked sympathetically, eyeing the boy sitting with his head buried in his hands before him.

"It's just that...something really terrible happened today. But you don't have to worry about it Hokuto, really." The boy answered wearily.

"Don't say that, Tsukune." The man with glasses admonished gently. "We're friends, right? And as a friend, I'm truly interested to hear if something's bothering you and see if I could help."

Tsukune raised his head briefly to smile at the tall man's kindness. He wondered for a second if it was something that should be kept as classified, but since even the headmaster had said there was no way for him to go back to human permanently and that he was a full-blown monster now, he figured it couldn't do much harm.

"Well, I guess it doesn't really matter now if I tell you", he began. "The thing is, I actually used to be a human", the boy paused to take in the other man's reaction. It was surprised, to be sure, but the small widening of Hokuto's eyes and the slight gaping of his mouth was nothing compared to the utter bafflement he'd expected. "Please go on", the bespectacled boy encouraged, strengthening Tsukune's impression that he wasn't judgmental towards him at all.

"I enrolled to this school by accident. My father just happened to find an advertisement of Youkai Academy lying on the street, and since I wasn't accepted anywhere else, I got sent here. Somehow I've survived all the way until now, and that's basically the whole story", Tsukune finished in a long, uninterrupted rant.

"But you said you _used _to be a human. Judging from your choice of words, I suppose you're not anymore. What's the story behind that?" Hokuto questioned, sounding genuinely interested.

"Ah, let's just say the headmaster gave me a little something that made me this way", he waved his hand and offered a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"The headmaster, eh? I've also heard he can be quite the peculiar one sometimes."

As Tsukune offered nothing but a weak chuckle for a reply, the conversation descended to silence. At least Hokuto had managed to cheer the other boy up a bit, for he wasn't pondering on his mishaps anymore, rising instead and filling their cups of tea from the kettle he had in his small office. As Hokuto received another portion of the odorous beverage underneath his nose, he decided he could offer his own views on the subject by a way of a confession.

"When talking to you, Tsukune, I find more and more ways in which we're alike."

"Oh? What've you noticed this time?" The boy queried.

"This may come as a surprise for you, but I was once a human as well."

If Hokuto had been successful in toning down his reaction, Tsukune was not so lucky. Having just been in the process of taking a sip of his tea, he barely managed to turn his face away from the other boy as the liquid spluttered out of his mouth. "C-come again?"

"I told you'd be surprised", Hokuto chuckled lightly at Tsukune's reaction. "But yeah, it's true. A fellow student injected me with his monster blood, and here I am."

Tsukune'd forgot to mention that was exactly the way he'd been turned at first, but since he'd already put the blame on the headmaster's present and it was essentially the truth, he saw no reason to confuse his companion any further. "Umm..wow, that's really something", he muttered, not knowing what he should say right away. "So, what kind of a monster are you, Hokuto?" He finally asked the first question coming to mind.

"A half-breed", he answered simply. "And if you don't mind my musing aloud, I'd say the both of us will very soon be thankful we're now monsters instead of humans."

* * *

When Kiria came to, he found that the ground around him along with his clothes was rather wet. More importantly, the book he'd held so dear to him was gone. _Ah. So our cover is blown,_ he thought with queer serenity. _Doesn't matter. Our plan is nearly completed and there's nothing they can do to stop us anymore. _

A look around him granted Kiria the observation it was almost dusk. _Excellent. If he holds onto his end of the deal, as he better would, it's just about time for us to meet up. _Now grateful for the extra nap someone had forced upon him, Kiria proceeded deeper into the surrounding woods to meet the one who would give him the final piece needed for the project of all the half-breeds.

* * *

"So you've finally arrived."

"Very much so. Forgive me for the slight lateness, something came up which hindered me for a while."

"Whatever. I have brought what you asked me to, can you still guarantee I get what you promised?"

"Show me the goods first".

The figure standing before Kiria searched the pockets of his large overcoat for a while, eventually pulling out a small, flat cardboard box.

"Take a look yourself." The man said while handing the item to Kiria.

Kiria opened the lid of the box slightly and was pleased to find what was obviously a mirror shielded by a sheet of butter paper. "Very well", he said agreeably. "Me and Hokuto are entitled to do whatever we want with this mirror and you shall not interfere with our plans. In return we promise to leave the handling of Aono Tsukune and Ginei Morioka completely to you."

"Excellent", Kuyo replied with a broad smile.


	12. From Grace

Chapter Twelve: From Grace

On the eve of the school festival which was never held that year, right around the time when Youkai Academy's students were about to retire for the night, everything went to hell. The first signs of calamity were the inhuman shouts and screams issuing from the direction of the Student Police's headquarters, and as the students climbed out of their beds and made for their windows, they found the sky in the distance swimming in the colors of burning fire.

By this point some of them were already pulling on their clothes to go see what was going on, while the more stupefied ones still remained glued to their windows, listening as the thunderous noises drew closer. Not long afterwards even they were alarmed from their daze, for from the edge of the wide forest starting not far from the dormitories a horde of monsters broke through. It didn't take long for them to guess they must've been the monster students of their own school, but the reason for them breaking the principal rule en masse and especially their suddenly frantic nature left them in the dark.

Realizing answers wouldn't be coming right away, the students still in their human forms wasted no time in changing to their true selves and preparing for the oncoming assault. By now almost everyone at the academy had discarded their human shells, giving in to the monstrous instincts within.

Their fall from grace had begun.

* * *

"Situation report!" Gin barked as he burst into the main hall of the Student Police's headquarters.

Any and all further commands he might've had died on his lips, however, as his frantic movements were halted by the sight of bright flames dancing freely all around the room, a bunch of their own men rampaging about in their monster forms, and a peculiar mirror placed on one of the walls for everyone to see.

"Gin!" The shout cut through his stupor. "What're you waiting for? Hurry up and help us!"

"What's going on in here, Tsukune?" The werewolf answered with a question of his own, gaining back his chiefly faculties.

"_This _is what's going on", the boy replied by tossing his superior officer the book that'd belonged to Kiria.

Gin caught the volume in his hands and read, his trained eyes catching onto the essential names of Yoshii Kiria and Kaneshiro Hokuto amidst the plan detailing the destruction of the academy.

"Shit", he cursed while throwing the book aside. "So how bad's the situation?" He asked as he grabbed a bucket and filled it with water from a broken water pipe, joining his younger companion in his work of trying to put out the flames. "I rushed here at the first smell of smoke and fire, so I didn't bother to do any check-up myself."

"It's awful desu!" Cried Yukari while trying to suffocate the smaller fires under the pots she created from thin air. "The Lilith's Mirror has turned everyone into monsters and now they can't control themselves!"

"The Lilith's Mirror?" The werewolf mused aloud while glancing at the item he'd wondered at earlier. _So that's what it does. _"Well if it's such a nuisance, all we have to do is take it down!" He bellowed and charged at the mirror confidently, intent on crushing it to harmless pieces.

"NO!" Tsukune and Yukari shrieked in unison, but their warning came too late. With his inhuman speed Gin had reached the mirror in a blink of an eye, and the second he met his own gaze from the mirror's surface, he was transformed into his werewolf form.

Tsukune grunted in annoyance and abandoned his task of extinguishing the flames, deciding instead to terminate the threat of the now uncontrollable werewolf. Normally he might've had some trouble battling against his powerful companion, but since it wasn't the full moon and the Mirror's maddening effect had robbed Gin of his strategic prowess, it was no job for Tsukune to tame him. Dodging the rabid assault of the werewolf's arm, the Vampire-Tsukune delivered a swift and precise kick to the back of his head and sent him into oblivion.

"Sorry, Gin", the boy muttered under his breath while carrying the unconscious werewolf to a safe spot.

As he turned to face the flames again, Tsukune found to his dismay that the fires had grown almost completely beyond their control while he was distracted. Yukari was doing a marvellous job at trying to aid the situation the best she could, but there was only so much she could do with her meagre magic and frail physique. Now more than ever did Tsukune regret sending Mizore to warn the other girls and any students she could find of the current peril; the snow and ice she commanded would've come in very handy at the moment.

Thankfully his unvoiced prayers were answered but a second later when the snow girl entered the room, followed close behind by Moka and Kurumu.

"Mizore!" Tsukune called in relief. "Thank god you're here. Do you think you could do something about these flames?"

"Yes, but we all need to get out of here first since I can't use my full powers in this kind of heat."

"Got it!" Tsukune said while heaving Gin on his shoulders, and together they fled the headquarters.

Once outside, the snow girl began her work immediately. She summoned small clouds to snow down onto the burning inferno, created ice block's to smother the smaller fires, and blew incredibly cold gusts of wind to snuff out the scorching blazes.

"Excellent!" Tsukune commended as the fires were now all killed. "Now there're only the raging students left to take care of."

"I can freeze 'em up as well." Mizore offered nonchalantly while enjoying her well earned lollipop.

"Thanks Mizore, but it won't work since they'll either break out soon or the ice'll melt."

"Let me handle this!" Moka suddenly spoke up. "Remove my rosary, Tsukune, so you guys can go search the real culprits while I take care of the other students."

Tsukune considered this for a while. He was loath to leave his friend fight all alone, but the knowledge of the vampire's far superior abilities in comparison to all the other monsters quickly made the decision for him.

"All right, Moka." He said while taking hold of the rosary around her neck. "But please be careful and don't lose the rosary."

As the girl smiled in affirmation, Tsukune pulled the restrictive cross free and released the sleeping, deadly beauty within.

"Boy it feels good to be myself again", the silver-haired Moka sighed contentedly. "Thanks for the advice, Tsukune", she continued and snatched the rosary from the boy's hand. "But I really don't need to hear it from you." Winking, she then took off to play with her easy prey.

Tsukune watched her go with an almost inaudible chuckle. "All right. Kurumu, you take Gin here to someplace safe and then come back to see how Moka's doing. Mizore and Yukari, you come with me."

Having assigned to their respective posts, the band of friends scattered to fight the evil threatening to destroy their beloved Academy.

* * *

Gin drifted back to consciousness with the ceiling of the newspaper clubroom being the first sight to greet him. _What the hell happened? _He grunted mentally as he rose to a sitting position, rubbing the back of his head with a painful cringe.

When the memories came to him, they did so with the effect of bringing a blush of embarrassment to his cheeks. _Aw shit, why the hell was I so careless? _He admonished himself as he recalled his hasty actions regarding the Lilith's Mirror._ I must've been seriously panicked or something..._

"Welcome back, Gin. Did you sleep well?" The almost fatherly query interrupted his thoughts.

Gin shot his gaze to the direction of the voice and found a man with a long, brilliant white hair and a large overcoat.

"Y-you-!" He managed to exclaim aloud before he was interrupted again, this time by the harsh kick the man gave to his bed that sent it toppling over.

"That's one point for my, my friend." Kuyo spoke in mock camaraderie as he bent over to peek at Gin lying on the ground. "So happy to see your old friend like this that you can't get even a word out, eh? Well guess what", he continued while lifting the stupefied werewolf in the air by the collar of his shirt. "I couldn't be happier to see you either", he growled and gave such a headbutt to his chest it sent him flying through the nearest window.

"Ha!" Kuyo laughed manically as he leapt after the falling werewolf. "I remember you flying through that same window once before. How does it feel now, you piece of dog-shit!?" He barked and landed on Gin's already injured chest as he came down.

Gin, finally giving in to the fact that answers were short in coming and he'd die unless he fought, abandoned his attempts to understand what was going on and readied himself for battle.

"Good, good!" Kuyo clapped his hands while watching his old nemesis change forms. "I couldn't stand it if you didn't even try to put up a fight", he continued while changing staright to his purest form of half human, half fox-demon. "Now come and show me you're worth being called my greatest enemy!"

Gin complied. Despite not having his full capacity in power, he knew from the last time he needed to end this battle quickly in order to even survive. He charged at Kuyo full speed, keeping a low stance as he neared him. When he was but few meters away, he made a final lunge and ducked as low as he could, his head almost touching the ground.

In a blink of an eye he was by the fox-demon's feet, and at that moment he gave a quick yet ferocious bite on his opponent's ankle. Kuyo swung his arm down in trying to capture him, but the werewolf's speed was too much for him. His attack met only thin air as Gin sped past him to a good ten yards away.

"What is this?" He questioned the wolf irritably. "I told you to come at me with all you've got, is this-"

His complaints went unheeded as Gin repeated exactly the same attack, only now giving the previous treatment to his other ankle as well.

"Stop these petty games of yours", the fox-demon roared with growing fury so profound it almost stopped him from even feeling the pain from his newly inflicted wounds. Both of his legs were bleeding heavily, and though he paid it no mind, standing itself had gained an aching sensation to it.

"I order you for the last time to meet me head-on and with no tricks, you hear me!?" Gin listened as the former leader of the previous Student Police continued his wailing.

In truth he'd known his simple, one-hit-attacks wouldn't be effective for long, but he was desperate and it seemed like he'd achieved some of the desired results through them. The fox-demon was angered and frustrated, thus open to mistakes and hasty movements. _Now if only I manage to immobilize his hands..._With that thought in mind, Gin launched at his adversary once more.

But when he drew close again and was about to capture the creature's left hand between his jaws, the fox-demon acted suddenly and wrapped his arms tightly around him, catching him into a bone-crushing embrace.

"Ha! I got you now, doggie. Now I hope you don't mind me petting you for a while", Kuyo taunted as he applied more pressure into his bear-hug. At the same time he allowed the fiery youki course freely through his arms, the incredibly painful and burning sensation adding to the pain the werewolf already felt.

Gin would've howled in agony if the choking of his lungs had allowed it. As it was all he could manage were few hoarse coughs which scorched on their way up his throat. His vision clouding and the direness of the situation hitting home, Gin began a desperate struggle of trying to squirm himself free of the fox-demons vice grip.

After much maneuvering and almost giving in to the lulling darkness that gathered in his mind, the werewolf managed to haul himself to a position where his chest was well above Kuyo's head. He savored the moment in which his lungs were free to draw breath again, after which he acted upon the first idea of an offensive move coming to his mind.

Gathering all the physical and mental strength he had left, Gin swung his head down and jammed his jaws shut around the fox-demons throat.

The neck was strong and muscular, and as the werewolf's teeth couldn't even penetrate the skin on it at first, the cry escaping Kuyo's lips was more out of surprise than anything else. Nevertheless Gin didn't let go of his hold, instead screwing his eyes shut and focusing all his thoughts on biting the monster's throat with all his might. And as he eventually broke sweat from the exertion, his efforts paid off at last.

The skin gave way to the werewolf's fangs with a loud pop and his teeth sunk deep into the tissue underneath. Kuyo's scream, this time of true pain and gurgling from the blood bottling up in his throat, spurred Gin to bite harder and harder, deeper and deeper still.

At length the putrid taste of the fox-demon's foul blood filled his mouth and stole the attention of all his senses, almost making him swoon. He bit until he could hear the bone within the neck break with a snap, the head going instantly limp and silencing the screams of his victim.

But even that wasn't enough for the werewolf, for the furry beast rapidly shook his head from side to side until the head came off altogether. Only then did his ferocity drop, and Gin spat the former Student Police's leader's head out of his mouth with anger and disgust.

The body lay now in two parts before him.

Kuyo was no more.

Satisfied, the victorious werewolf let his own exhaustion and injuries take over him, falling on the ground next to his dead enemy.

* * *

The silver-haired Moka had thought the beating of the few berserk-gone monsters nearby to be a nice and leisurely exercise after her long dormancy. She'd been thrilled to find almost all of the students at the academy had gone insane, thus increasing the violent work needing to be done, and consequently, her joy.

What she didn't think so fun, however, was the cheerful looking man with blonde hair who walked up to her just when she and Kurumu finished with the last rampaging monster.

"Absolutely wonderful!" He exclaimed heartily while clapping his hands for emphasis. "The much rumoured vampire Akashiya Moka herself in action, what more could one hope to see?"

"Uh, I don't know, that said blood sucker teamed up with an equally butt-kicking succubus, perhaps?" Kurumu challenged daringly, stepping up from behind Moka.

Kiria spared the blue-haired girl a tired glance and a quirked eyebrow. "Thank you, but my tastes are too refined to appreciate someone whose greatest assets are the weight of her chest and a few cheap tricks. Begone."

"Why, you-"

"It's okay, Kurumu", Moka stopped her friend from lashing out by putting a hand on her arm. "I'll take care of this scum, you go and see how Tsukune and the others are faring."

The succubus bit her lip in fury for a while, but ultimately the voice of reason and the worry for her Destined One won. "Alright, but make sure you kick his ass for me as well, okay?"

"Of course", Moka replied simply as Kurumu took to her leathery wings.

"Alone at last", the blond-haired youth mused contentedly as he turned his full attention back to the vampire.

Truth be told, Moka wasn't as sure of herself as she'd made herself out to be just moments ago. Dealing with the out-of-control academy students had been but a light jog for her, but when considering their amount and the energy she'd spent on them, it'd been one long jog, and when it'd been over, she'd looked forward to a well-earned rest.

Fighting right away with the man who most probably was the one behind all the chaos didn't quite account for that.

"Well then, why don't we get started on the dance you so eagerly wish us to have?" Moka asked through gritted teeth, a small trickle of sweat gliding down her brow.

"With pleasure", came the answer as Kiria turned to his true form.

_Ugly motherfucker, _ran the first thought through the vampire-Moka's mind as she regarded the man's horribly mutilated form, on which the horrendously large scythe was the dominant attribute. _Looks alone just doesn't cut it, eh? Even with such a pretty face, he's got nothing on- _

Her musing was brought to an abrupt halt as Kiria's monstrous blade came crushing down on the ground before her, sending a shower of dust and rubble to her face.

"That was a wake-up-call for you, dear. Go on daydreaming and the next thing you know, your head will be up in the clouds - literally!" Kiria taunted with a playful lick at the blade of his weapon.

Moka grunted in annoyance and leapt to a nearby tree to gather her composure. By the time the monstrel swung his scythe again to cut the trunk in half, the vampire had already oriented herself for another battle.

Jumping again, she this time came down on the creatures shoulders. Immediately she brought her hands down on Kiria's face, intent on going for his eyes and destroying them. _If he's blinded, he'll panic and it'll be that much easier to finish him off._

"Ha!" He laughed while grabbing hold of Moka's wrists and lifting her off of his shoulders. "Quite the tricky one, now aren't you? Kinda cute, I have to admit", he cooed while bringing the vampire's face on level with his own, puckering his lips as if ready to kiss her.

Moka gave a disgusted growl and hastily kicked herself free of her opponent's hold. The move was powerful enough to send her skidding away from the creature, but rushed and desperate as it'd been, it did little to faze the brawny half-breed.

"Aw, come on", Kiria drawled in feigned hurt. "Though were enemies, it doesn't mean we can't wrestle in a bit more pleasurable ways, no?"

_That's it, _Moka decided suddenly. _No fancy tricks, no fooling around. I'll finish this guy off right fucking now. _

With that resolve in mind, the silver-haired vampire darted towards the fearsome monstrel, came up right in front of him, and alluringly pressed her rich chest against his.

For the first time in what anyone had ever seen, Kiria came short of words to speak. The mysterious blonde whom everyone thought to be always cool and calculating was baffled beyond measure at the current actions of one Akashiya Moka, whom he in turn had come to know as one of the prideful vampires who never succumbed to the will of others.

"Whoa, there, there!" He exclaimed the first thing coming to his mind. "Never thought you'd take my words seriously, but what the hell."

"I'm quite surprised myself", she intoned sweetly. "By your stupidity, that is."

And as the vampire's lips curved maliciously to reveal her deadly fangs, Kiria had only the time to feel alarmed before the sudden, _painful _sensation in his groin took the command of all his senses.

Not even a peep issued from his lips as Moka drew back the knee she'd just slammed against the monstrel's family jewels with all her might.

"Now I hope you don't mind if I kiss your other head goodbye as well", she said and delivered a sharp, fierce roundhouse kick on his left temple.

Moka spared no glance at her enemy falling to the ground with his head crushed, speeding away to search for her friends instead.

* * *

"Answer me, Hokuto!" Tsukune shrieked in stunned desperation. "What is this madness?"

"Madness?" The leader of the ANTI-THESIS repeated incredulously. "I'm so disappointed in you, Tsukune, I thought you were smarter than that", he spoke with sadness that sounded almost sincere. "You want to know what's madness? _This _his madness", he swung his arm over the headmaster's secret chamber in which the system for controlling the magical barrier was located.

"The idea that we the monsters, the more powerful species, have to hide ourselves from the scum that is the human race. The fact that we the monstrels, the frowned upon yet not in any way inferior monsters, have to comply such rules set by the pure-bloods. _That's _what's madness, Tsukune." He said pointedly. "And I intend to bring an end to that madness right here and now."

"W-was that your true intention from the beginning?" The boy asked with his voice breaking from unshed tears. "Just to bring down the barrier and send the two worlds into chaos, you're destroying the whole academy?"

"Ah, yeah, sort of. Though it'll be fun to see this place in pieces, what I really want is to destroy the barrier and let the monsters and humans make friends with each other. Just like you, Tsukune."

"No", the vampire-Tsukune whispered hoarsely. "I won't have it. Whatever it takes, I'll stop you, Hokuto!" He roared in a sudden burst of anger, a flaring aura not unlike that of the Inner Moka's lighting around him.

"Whatever it takes, you say?" Hokuto queried in mock interest. "Well how about we start with you sacrificing one of your precious friends!" He laughed and extended one of his monstrous claws to grab Ruby, who'd been standing good ways aside next to the school's headmaster.

The white-clad man watched with glee as the young witch was roughly lifted in the air and placed between Tsukune and Hokuto.

"Ruby!" The boy exclaimed and reflexively darted towards the girl with the intent of pulling her away from harm's way.

The massive scythes slamming down right in front of him halted his advance.

"Tsk, tsk, Tsukune, I thought I told you your efforts would end up in this little lady getting killed." Hokuto admonished him with a malicious glint in his eyes.

"Forget about her, Tsukune", the headmaster suddenly spoke from his safe vantage point. "I let her near you in the first place so she could monitor your actions for me, but since she has constantly failed to report to me, she is of no use. Proceed accordingly" He ordered, his voice betraying no hesitation nor remorse.

_...what? _Tsukune thought in dismay, the shock of both the information and the coldness in the chairman's words freezing him in place. His teeth grit and fists clenched, he was about to the torn in two by the insecurity when an impassable chance presented itself.

Mizore, who'd been early on stricken down by Hokuto had slowly begun to recover. Upon seeing the unbearably difficult situation in which Tsukune was in, she decided to muster what strength she had left and act. Quickly she created five ice kunais and threw them almost blindly, checking only that the daggers flew to the general direction of the macabre half-breed. Satisfied she'd done all she could, the beaten snow girl fell back into oblivion.

"What the-?" Hokuto groaned in annoyance as he felt a sudden stinging at the back of his neck. He reached his hand to feel at the sore spot, found the icy blades, and tossed them aside with a dismissive snort.

His momentary lapse in concentration, however, was all that Tsukune needed to make his move. Using his superhuman abilities to the maximum he shot towards Ruby and took her to safety before the monstrel even noticed what was happening.

"Stay here and don't move a muscle. If you get the chance to escape, do so!" The boy instructed her hastily before going back to Hokuto, this time engaging the skeletal beast in an all-out combat unlike the witch had ever seen before.

They exchanged blows on an equal level, with Tsukune utilizing his vampiric powers through the extremely fast and powerful kicks and punches, while Hokuto swung his fearsome scythe on end. More often than not the monstrel's bulky blade missed the boy entirely, but when it did hit, the effects were all the more devastating. His clothes were now all but tattered rags, and from the way his breathing came as painfully laborious and hitched, it was evident most of his ribs were shattered. When Hokuto's weapon came down again in an arch like the axe of an executioner, Tsukune made his one last move.

With all his might be jumped at Hokuto, latching onto one of the arms supporting the hellish cutters. He wrapped both his arms and his legs around the appendage, and summoning all the energy his body could produce, he began to twist it.

"Ugh", Hokuto grunted in surprise. "What're you trying to pull, boy? You know you're not gonna-" The half-breed's taunting was suddenly turned to a screech of pain as Tsukune gave his efforts one final push, causing the sinews in the arm to give way.

One of the monstrel's scythes, along with the vampire still hanging onto it, crashed to the chamber's floor in a shower of blood. It was only one loss for the creatures extensive arsenal, but the pain caused by its forceful removal distracted Hokuto decisively.

"Now, Ruby!" Tsukune ignored the pain from his injuries and screamed at the top of his lungs. "Go look for help! Get away from here!"

The witch stood aghast. Through her terror she faintly realized the meaning behind the boy's words. _Save yourself. There's no one who can help us. _And if Ruby hadn't been able to make the decision regarding her allegiance over the course of the past several weeks, then seeing Tsukune fight for her and all the others with all his heart and soul made her do it in the space of a second.

Tapping into her monster power for the first time since the hopeless battle for her home, Ruby spread her majestic raven-black wings and rose into the air. Without wasting a moment she soared next to the boy, lifting his broken body in her arms.

"Never without you", she spoke softly in spite of the desperate situation, truly smiling upon him for the first time. She repeated the same procedure for the two other fallen fighters as well, after which she flew to the centre of the room where she knew their last hope to be.

Standing in front of one of the many control panels in the room, Ruby typed the code for self-destruction and pressed enter. _Never thought knowing some of the headmaster's secrets could come handy in this way, _she mused without humor, took hold of her friends again, and fled.

The curses of the headmaster, dying whimpers of one failed visionary, and the rumble of collapsing rock signaling the downfall of Youkai Academy echoed in the background as Ruby took to the cold night sky.


	13. Hope of a New Day

**A/N: **Alright folks, this is it; the final chapter of _Of Wolf and Man_. Seeing as new fic ideas and the issues of Real Life have been at the center of my attention as of late, it is very unlikely that this will ever get a sequel. You are, however, entitled to say so in case you'd like to see one. A special thank you to all of you who already have and will take the time to leave feedback. Cheers, and I hope you've enjoyed.

Final Chapter: Hope of a New Day

The destruction of Youkai Academy had come and gone. In the violence of that fateful night exactly a week ago many students had sustained more or less several injuries, resulting in the school infirmary being flooded with patients. Thus the remaining faculty members were kept busy, which in turn helped them in keeping their minds too occupied to think about the true extent of the damage done.

Thankfully the two students, Akashiya Moka and Kurumu Kurono, who were primarily responsible for striking down their rampaging peers, had been relatively reasonable in their methods, not hurting the other pupils too badly and thus making their road to recovery that much shorter.

Although the word was never spread around, the mystery behind Kuyo's sudden appearance was also solved in all quietude. From the documents which were left behind by the school's late headmaster, who perished in the crumbling of the academy's secret wing, it appeared the former leader of the previous Student Police had merely been imprisoned to complete isolation as opposed to the death sentence Tsukune and Gin had thought he'd suffered. The plans of the school's destruction detailed in the small book obtained from Kiria shed further light on the issue: as Kuyo's confinement had been tasked to the Student Committee, it was no surprise that its leader as well as a double agent for the ANTI-THESIS, Kaneshiro Hokuto, had seen an opportunity in the fox-demon's hatred for the new law-enforcers and exploited it.

With the investigations of the recent horrid events coming to a close as well as the slow yet steady recovery the injured and traumatized students were making, the Student Police's leadership group thought it to be in order to arrange something which would help the progress of rebuilding the student body's unity in the wake of all the chaos. Thus, against all odds, it was decided that a proper school festival should be held, with invitations issued to all the students' families, both so they could participate in the festivities as well as to let them see all was well.

And so, even in the face of an almost overwhelming disaster, the hope of a new day lingered in the air.

* * *

"Welcome to Youkai Academy, please make yourself at home and enjoy your stay." Tsukune said with a bright smile, handing out the school's leaflet to another entering guest. At his side Gin was at the same work, wagging his tail in a show of cheerfulness and greeting each passer-by with a playful wink.

It was the day of the school festival, and the two of them were standing by the school gates welcoming the hundreds of visitors. Being the top two security officers of the academy, they'd figured it'd be good for them to mingle with the crowd freely to help promote the easy-going atmosphere they were trying to create.

But no matter how much they thought they'd gotten used to the menial tasks, tedious work was still tedious, which was why both of them were happy a change in shifts was coming soon.

"Tsukune! Gin!" The melodious voice calling their names signaled that the relief they'd been waiting for had come.

"Ah, hello there, Moka, Kurumu", Tsukune nodded to each girl in turn while Gin was already putting down his work. "How's it going at the festival?"

"Oh it's great", Moka answered while trying to ignore her annoyance at seeing the succubus already hounding on the boy. "Even though we've just come up from such a tragedy, everyone's still trying their best at being happy!" She raised her voice just in case Tsukune had trouble hearing her through the fleshy mounds cushioning his head.

"Well that's good to hear, then", he breathed while disentangling himself from the blue-haired succubus. "So it's you two taking up the post here now then, eh?"

"Yup! And Yukari and Ruby will come after us." Moka replied and accepted the stack of flyers Tsukune offered her.

"Wow, you've arranged it that far ahead? Nice."

"C'mon, Tsukune, let's get going already!" Gin called irritably from the school yard. "You know we've got other things to take care of!"

"Right, sorry, sorry", Tsukune muttered and ran after the werewolf, waving at the two girls all the while.

Moka waved back at the boy disappearing into the crowd.

* * *

Tsukune idly wandered around the festival area. He and Gin had finished their preparations for the rest of the event for the most part, which gave them a rare opportunity to explore the ongoing festivities by themselves. To move on with their schedule they had to wait until the girls were free from their duties anyway, so the remaining time could just as well be used on enjoying the party the best they could.

To his endless joy and relief, Tsukune found Moka had been telling the truth when saying the students were genuinely trying to keep up the proper, cheerful atmosphere. Several food stalls were dotting the walkways here and there, their myriad range of delicious odors making the air pleasantly stuffy. Other attractions included several stands for all sorts of games, lotteries, and small bazaars selling sweets, ice cream, and various kitsch one could find at every fair of the same type. _It'll be good for the budget if all this sells out, _he thought hopefully

After walking through the thickly crowded avenues for a while, Tsukune decided to buy a soft ice for refreshment against the sweltering mass of people. Paying for the serve he continued on his way while leisurely enjoying the sweet and comfortingly cold ice cream.

As Tsukune's attention gradually shifted from the festival's supply to its visitors, it was not long before he spotted a familiar face amidst the stream of students and their families alike.

"Hey, Nagare!" He called out to the Student Police's now exclusive photographer, this time tasked to record the festival's events with his camera.

"Hmm?" He answered in his typical absent-minded manner, lowering his camera and slowly turning his attention to the approaching boy. "Oh, Tsukune. Sir. What can I do for you?" He mumbled hastily as he recognized Tsukune, fixing a horribly false grin on his face.

"Just relax, Nagare" Tsukune greeted with a chuckle. "I was just wondering if everything's ok, you know? Have you managed to get some interesting pictures and stuff like that."

"Oh, yes of course. Many interesting pictures indeed..."

"Really? Awesome. Can I take a look?" Tsukune chirped, sincerely curious to see what Nagare had worked out.

"Umm...about that, well..I'm not sure if they're all so good just yet..."

"Please! It can't be that bad. Come on, just show me alright?" Tsukune prompted reassuringly and beckoned with his hand for the other boy to hand over the camera, brushing aside his obvious and desperate excuses.

Reluctantly Nagare complied, and immediately Tsukune began to browse through the dozens of pictures the boy had already taken.

He was not surprised to find almost all of the snapshots consisted of the female visitors, most of them wearing their colorful and more or less revealing kimonos and yukatas.

Fighting the anger that threatened to burst the veins in his temples, Tsukune gave the camera back to Nagare with shaking hands.

"That's...quite nice, Nagare, you've managed to capture well the beauty of some of our guest's clothing, but...could you _please _try to find something else to take pictures of? Else It'll be too one-sided." He offered through gritted teeth, not wanting to cause a scene in the middle of otherwise merry occasion.

"R-right away, sir!" Nagare stuttered hurriedly and even gave an awkward salute, disappearing from Tsukune's eyes the moment he gave him the permission to leave.

His ice cream consumed and most of the festival now seen, Tsukune decided to escape the surrounding hassle to the quiet, eerie woods nearby.

* * *

The mist-filled forest with dark, skeletal trees was a wild contrast to the ongoing festival pulsing with life not a few hundred meters away. Nevertheless Tsukune took the distorted tree trunks and the sounds of the scarce animal life as a welcome change to the cacophony of laughter and music the school area itself was filled with.

As he took in the ghastly scenery more carefully, Tsukune was overtaken by memories both joyous and unpleasant. This was exactly the same place where Gin had taken him all those months ago to reveal his secret plans, the contours of the old shack they'd used as a base looming in the distance. _Of course it was just one of the school's forgotten storages, _Tsukune chuckled to himself fondly at the unimpressing truth revealed behind the queer cottage.

Not all the memories were those of happiness, of course. The preparation for their rebellion, the fight itself, and the consequences following had all caused much pain both physical and mental, to say nothing of the cracks in his relationships the whole ordeal had resulted in.

But ultimately, the encounters with new people, the hardships, the losses and the victories which helped him grow up to the person he was now left him with an overall positive feelings, and Tsukune came to realize he wouldn't change a day of it even if he had the chance.

Deep in reminiscence as he was, Tsukune didn't at first notice the quiet whimpers that sounded on the edges of his hearing.

"NOOOO! GET AWAY FROM ME!!!"

The shrill cry cutting through the stillness, however, made sure his attention was seized for good. As he'd gotten used to during his stay at the academy and especially in the Student Police, he darted towards the alarming sound without a conscious thought.

When he got to the source of the frantic screams, Tsukune came face to face with a sight all too familiar for him from over the past months. A group of delinquents, at the head of which was one very muscular and bald man with tattoos, was hounding on a defenseless girl on the ground with her back against a tree. Tsukune thought he could recognize the voice, but hidden as the girl was behind the much bigger men, he couldn't identify the victim right away.

"Oh c'mon girlie, don't be like that. You told us you were new here so we took the trouble to show you around, and this is how you repay us? Shame on you!" The tattooed baldie taunted, eliciting barks of approving laughter from his peers.

"But no worries, hun. We're reasonable, so we'll be real quick and you can go before you know it, so how about-"

"Alright, stop right there." Tsukune announced loudly as he stepped forward, thankful for once that the headmaster hadn't lived long enough to craft anything to seal his vampire powers.

Immediately the whole group snapped their heads towards him, surprised and wary of the sudden interruption.

"Bah, it's just some scrawny kid." One of the thugs spat at seeing Tsukune's deceptively light form. "Yeah, what's the matter with you dude, you looking to get yourself killed?" Continued the bald leader haughtily while eyeing the newcomer down his nose.

"No mister, I'm not looking to get myself killed. In fact, I'm not even looking for a fight at all", Tsukune spoke with unwavering politeness. "Which is exactly why I'd like you to leave that girl alone right now."

"Oh-ho, now there's a big mouth on a small man. Let's see what you can do to back it up." The tattooed man laughed and took a fighting stance, pompously discarding his t-shirt to reveal the steel-like, roughly chiseled muscles underneath.

"Figured it'd come to his", Tsukune snorted softly and eyed the bulky man before him with something that resembled almost pity.

"Well, what's it gonna be? Will you quit just standing there and fight like a-"

The irritated query was mercilessly cut off as Tsukune shot towards the ringleader, spearing him in the midsection with a vicious headbutt.

Only the small sigh of air escaping the lungs could be heard as the man doubled over and was sent flying through the air, cutting several trees in half as he went.

The remaining rogues hastily pulled out their guns in yelps and shrieks, prompting Tsukune to wonder if they were ordinary human criminals for using such weapons. Not deeming the matter worth pursuing, Tsukune disposed of them with ease one by one, jumping from one to the next almost as if in a dance.

When the last of them were down on the ground, Tsukune finally turned to the girl still crouching by the tree. She was still shielding her face with her arms, her whole body visibly trembling.

"You okay there?" Tsukune asked gently while holding out his hand to help her up.

"Don't touch me!" The mysterious girl shrieked and slapped his hand away the moment she saw it moving.

"I'm not here to hurt you, you know?" The boy tried to dissuade her. "C'mon, I'll take you back to the academy. It's dangerous out here."

"Oh, I'm sure you know all about being dangerous", she said pointedly in a sudden burst of anger. "Beating all those yakuzas just like that, I bet you're some kinda monster as well. Isn't that right, you-"

As the girl finally raised her head to look at him the words died on her lips, recognition hitting her like a speeding train. "Ts-Tsukki?"

"K-KYOU!?"

And if a bunch of villains did nothing to faze the young man, seeing the familiar and cute face of his cousin sent him toppling right over.

* * *

As the shock of reuniting with his cousin at such a place at such a time had worn off, Tsukune had led the sudden visitor out of the woods speaking as little as possible. All her questions he evaded the best he could, shaking off her queries about his odd outlooks as a part of his costume for the festival.

He desperately needed to have her in a safe place for the rest of the day, but since he couldn't come up with anything right away and the meeting he had to attend in a few minutes was at hand, he thought it best to keep her with him.

"Ah, sorry if I'm a bit late", Tsukune apologized as he drew a chair for himself. They were at an outdoor terrace set to offer soft drinks and light snacks for the visitors, and the table arranged for them was large enough to accommodate the assembled entourage. Moka, Kurumu, and the rest of his friends were stealing curious glances at Kyou, who was still too stupefied from the resent events to say a word in front of the strangers.

"Um...this right here is my cousin Kyou", Tsukune introduced awkwardly. "She's here just to see this school, so she won't be bothering us. Please pay her no mind."

"Tch, whatever. Just take a seat and stop delaying the meeting any more than you already have." Gin commanded irritably, evidently annoyed that Tsukune had brought _yet another _cute girl with him.

Nodding apologetically once more, Tsukune sat down and turned his attention to their special guests. "Ah, you must be Mizore's mother, am I correct?" He inquired pleasantly and held out his hand to an older snow woman sitting next to Mizore herself.

"Why, yes I am. The name's Tsurara" She answered simply and shook Tsukune's hand without hesitation, dreamily holding her cheek in her other. _Of course she is, _Tsukune berated himself sarcastically. _Same hair, same eyes, same goddamn lollipop...she's a spitting image of her daughter._

"Could I get some hand as well?" Asked another alluring female voice, this time coming from next to where Kurumu sat. Tsukune turned her gaze in her direction and found himself to be looking at what could've been an older version of his succubus friend. Her hair just as blue, her bearing just as seductive, and her bust, if at all possible, even bigger than that of her offspring's.

"Ageha Kurono, I assume?" He recalled the name from Kurumu's personal file and repeated the friendly action for her as well.

Ageha grabbed his hand eagerly and guided it straight to her breast. "You bet I am!" She said briskly. "And I hope you wont be forgetting it anytime soon."

With an introduction like that, Tsukune seriously doubted he would.

"Ahem", Gin coughed as Tsukune greeted Yukari's parents as well. "Now that we're all here and aware of each other, I suggest we start this meeting before the next full moon." Ignoring the werewolf's sarcasm, Tsukune nodded his consent and everyone else smiled approvingly.

This was the part of the festival Tsukune and Gin had prepared for the most. Since all of the girls had been such a great help and crucial part in the events that had revolved around them, it felt only appropriate to invite each of their parents for a private meeting to explain what had happened and answer any questions they might have the best they could. And even though Moka and Ruby couldn't bring any of their family members for obvious reasons, everyone was still happy even this many person had come.

"All right." Gin began again after a pause. "As you all know, our academy came under a threat unlike ever before."

"So much we've figured, but what of the exact reasons? What _did _cause all of...this?" Yukari's father spoke up skeptically, motioning towards the academy's ruins in the background.

"We were just coming to that", Gin countered the older man's stern query. "But please bear in mind that what I'm about to tell you is absolutely confidential, understood?" He waited for their affirmation and, upon receiving it, continued: "Okay, so here's the deal: the destruction is actually the work of a terrorist organization of sorts that worked within the academy. They were targeting all the pure-bloods, and they wanted to cause as much havoc as possible, even going so far as planning to tear down the barrier between this school and the human world."

Shocked gasps were drawn at the end of this explanation. The parents searched each others' faces for their reaction and murmured to one another, until Tsurara froze the contents of the tea cup in her hand and smashed it to the ground to get everyone's attention.

"That sounds...alarming", she stated in a chilly voice. "Just how in the world was it possible for that kind of scoundrels to operate at an honorable, private school such as this?"

"They hid them selves cleverly within the student body", Tsukune spoke up. "They appeared to be just normal students and planned their schemes carefully behind the scenes."

"And where are they now?" Ageha demanded fiercely. "Such bad boys, they would be in need of some serious punishment..."

"The...the attackers died in the chaos as well. We can assure you, the bodies have been found and recognized. They will be of no further harm for us." Tsukune reassured, deciding not to ponder on the exact type of punishment Ageha's husky voice seemed to suggest.

"And what does the headmaster have to say about all of this?" Yukari's father asked after a while, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"We are sorry to let you know that our honored headmaster perished in the calamity as well." Gin announced gravely.

"E-excuse me?" The other man stuttered in bewilderment, and even Tsurara had to bend down to pick up the lollipop fallen from her gaping mouth. "If the school's principal is gone, then who on earth is keeping order here?"

"The Student Police, at the head of which me and Tsukune are, is very capable, and the remaining board of directors is busy deciding upon a follower for the late chairman."

"C-capable? You let a bunch of terrorists run amok at your school and you call yourselves capable? Just how-"

"Well, excuse me!" Kurumu suddenly burst in anger, rising from her seat and confronting Yukari's father. "If it weren't for the efforts of the Student Police and everyone at this table, the consequences would've been much, much more severe. So I suggest you watch it with your accusations, _sir!_"

"O-of course. Please forgive me my rudeness, I..." The man trailed off while Kurumu retook her seat, receiving soothing pats from her mother.

"Say nothing of it", Gin raised his hands in assurance. "These are all very disturbing news, and we understand how upset you must be. So, do any of you have any other questions?" Gin waited an entire minute for anyone to speak up, but when none did, he continued: "Very well, then. If this is settled now, I suppose we can conclude the meeting. But please don't hesitate to seek us if anything comes to your mind later, for we will be at your service during the whole duration of the festival. Thank you and I hope you'll enjoy your stay." Gin concluded professionally, rising from his seat and giving a small bow before departing.

For a while everyone still at the table sat without speaking a word, pondering upon the meeting and everything they'd just learned.

Then, when the silence had stretched on almost uncomfortably, Tsurara and Ageha suddenly spoke up almost simultaneously:

"So, Tsukune, I heard you're going out with my daughter..."

The rest of the evening was spent on arguing over very different matters.

* * *

Tsukune leant his body against the railing on the school roof with a weary sigh. The day had been long and hard, beginning from the mundane greetings at the front gates and ending to the hectic battles over whose fiancé he was supposed to be.

Thinking about it all excited a chuckle from his lips. Something like that happening proved that even in the wake of disaster, life at Youkai Academy could be _interesting_, to say the least. Unfortunately the fight between the two adult women had taken on such a nature that Tsukune had to ask his friends restrain his cousin, lest she'd panic and start running around like a chicken gone mad. _I'll just have to ask Kurumu to use her spells on her and make her forget about all of this_, he mused to himself.

But now that the night had descended and Tsukune was left alone with his thoughts, the festival lights underneath being shut and the visitors having retired for the day, clouds of doubt began to edge the young man's mind.

The newest threat to the lives of his friends and everybody else's was now overcome, but from his past experiences with trouble, Tsukune knew the latest incident was just one in the line of many more to come. Could they still survive the perils that lay ahead? Could their amazing luck and unity which had allowed them to come this far continue to be on their side? The first great issue he already saw in front of them was the rebuilding of the academy. They'd been just about to get fully back on their feet from the war he and Gin had wrought, and now they had to rise from the ruins again. Would they be up to it?

Tsukune wished to rely on his seemingly endless optimism and tell himself yes, but there were times such as this when he just didn't know. He was still so young and inexperienced, after all, and alone it the vast and empty darkness of the night, the challenges waiting him down the path appeared to grow out of their proportions and become insurmountable.

His mind heavy with nagging insecurities, Tsukune pressed his head down and closed his eyes, attempting to seek even a moment's refuge in oblivion.

"If I didn't know better, I would assume you're actually letting yourself to be put down by mere thoughts."

Tsukune instantly snapped his head upwards at the intruding voice and found none other than Gin, who'd sat down right next to him on the cold rooftop floor.

"G-Gin!" He exclaimed in surprise, as if saying his name would confirm his presence.

"In all my high and hairy glory, yes." The werewolf answered smoothly, making fun of the boy's utter stupefaction.

"What...what are you doing up here?"

"I could ask the same from you, but as for myself, I'm stargazing, of course."

"...stargazing?"

"Yeah. One very efficient way to cool yourself off after a day like that, I tell you." The werewolf shrugged nonchalantly at Tsukune's non-understanding query. "But judging from the look you were wearing just now, you don't quite share the sentiment. What's up?"

"I-it's nothing, really. Don't worry about it", Tsukune tried poorly to cover himself.

"Sheesh dude, here I am offering you a listening ear and that's how you react? Fine by me, but don't come bitching at me in the future saying I'm rude or indifferent towards your problems."

"...I'm sorry Gin, I really didn't mean it that way. It's just that...sometimes I just begin to question how everything's gonna work out, is all. Nothing serious, I tell you." Tsukune replied apologetically, wishing to ease out the werewolf's annoyance.

"_That's _what you were sulking about?" Gin wondered with pointed disgust and disbelief. "Well, for once you were right, definitely nothing serious at all."

"How so?" Tsukune questioned his companion's confidence in sincere curiosity, hoping he could draw from it for himself.

"The heck do you mean 'how so'? Aren't you always the first one to say everything's gonna be alright and work itself out, hm?"

"Well...yeah, but I do have my weak moments as well you know?"

"Keh, a lot of them, if I might add."

Silence descended as Gin's insult lingered in the air. After a while of wordless stillness the werewolf spoke again, his voice deep yet softened in consideration to Tsukune's mood.

"Listen, _Tsukki_, I don't know what it is exactly that's eating you, but from what I've gathered, it's just some general depression. To put it simply, you worry too much. We've still got the same band of buddies together, and that's all we need. Nothing's gonna change that, and even if it does, well, that's just another bridge we have to cross if and when we get there, 'kay?"

Tsukune listened and realized they could've been his very own words the carefree sophomore was speaking to him. Of course he'd known it all along, but hearing the usually distant and even rude werewolf say it somehow reminded him of the simple truth. His conviction now fully restored, Tsukune resolved to keep this moment in mind whenever he'd come across again the sort of doubts he'd had tonight.

"Yeah...yes, you're right Gin."

"As always", his companion nodded in humorous gravity.

"And thank you, Gin, for everything."

To that the senior youth said nothing, but the annoyed grunt he gave was enough of an affirmation for Tsukune that he was of the same mind.

Satisfied, Tsukune leant back against the rail and drew in a rich breath of the cool night air.

Together, the wolf and the man waited for a new day and its new challenges while basking in the light of the full moon.

_**The End**_


End file.
